IARRIE1   10BSON 


.IBRARY 


THE  UNIVERSITY 


OF  CAL  [FORNIA 


LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 

Mrs.  Ben  B.  Llndsey 


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WWf  7*. 


JINKS'        INSIDE 


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JINKS'     INSIDE 


BY 

HARRIET  MALONE   HOBSON 


PHILADELPHIA 

GEORGE  W.  JACOBS  &  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,  1911 
BY  GKORGK  W.  JACOBS  &  COMPANY 

PUBLISHED  SEPTEMBER,  1911 


ALL   RIGHTS  RESERVED 
PRINTED  IN  U.   S.  A. 


TO 

THE    MEMORY   OF 

MARTHA  CHAPPELLE  MALONE  HOBSON 

MY  TEACHER,    MY   COUNSELOR,   MY   GOOD-COMRADE, 

MY   FRIEND,   MY   GUIDE,    MY   IDEAL, 

MY    MOTHER 


11GS23S 


"  I  had  rather  be  an  amanuensis  of  the  Infinite  God, 
as  it  is  my  privilege  literally  to  be,  than  a  slave  to  the 
formulated  rules  of  any  rhetorician,  or  to  the  opinions 
of  any  critic.  Oh,  the  people,  the  people  over  and  over! 
Let  me  give  something  to  them  that  will  lighten  the 
every-day  struggles  of  our  common  life;  something 
that  will  add  a  little  sweetness  here,  a  little  hope 
there;  something  that  will  make  more  thought- 
ful, kind,  and  gentle  this  thoughtless,  animal-natured 
man;  something  that  will  awaken  into  activity  the  dor- 
mant powers  of  this  timid,  shrinking  little  woman, — 
powers  that  when  awakened  will  be  irresistible  in  their 
influence  and  that  will  surprise  even  herself.  Let  me 
give  something  that  will  lead  each  one  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  divinity  of  every  human  soul;  something  that  will 
lead  each  one  to  the  conscious  realization  of  his  own  di- 
vinity, with  all  its  attendant  riches,  and  glories,  and 
powers  —  let  me  succeed  in  doing  this,  and  I  can  then 
well  afford  to  be  careless  as  to  whether  the  critics  praise 
or  whether  they  blame.  If  it  is  blame,  then  under  these 
circumstances  it  is  as  the  crackling  of  a  few  dead  sticks 
on  the  ground  below  compared  to  the  matchless  music 
that  the  soft  spring  gale  is  breathing  through  the  great 
pine  forest." 

RALPH  WALDO  TRINE. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  ONE 13 

CHAPTER  Two 31 

CHAPTER  THREE 46 

CHAPTER  FOUR 61 

CHAPTER  FIVE ;.     ...81 

CHAPTER  Six 97 

CHAPTER  SEVEN ..,    ;.     .     .120 

CHAPTER  EIGHT 139 

CHAPTER  NINE ;.     .         156 

CHAPTER  TEN 182 

CHAPTER  ELEVEN 198 

CHAPTER  TWELVE 223 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


There  was  not  such  another  Christmas  break- 
fast       Frontispiece 

Sis Facing  page  108 

"What  is  it?  "demanded  Jinks  eagerly        "          "      158 

In  the  weeks  that  followed  Jinks'  dis- 
appearance   202 


JINKS'  INSIDE 


CHAPTER  ONE 

Jinks  turned  the  corner  that  led  from  Paradise 
Alley  into  the  street  on  a  run,  his  hands  thrust 
deep  within  his  ragged  pockets,  the  tattered  cap 
he  wore  perched  so  far  back  on  his  red  head  it 
seemed  to  be  sitting  on  space,  for  visible  anchorage 
it  had  none.  His  mouth  was  wide  open,  and  his 
voice,  high  and  sweet,  sent  a  ringing,  "  Who-o-o, 
Who-o-e-e !  "  echoing  down  the  quiet  street. 

Just  at  that  moment  from  the  opposite  direc- 
tion came  the  Dog,  fleeing  as  fast  as  three,  fright- 
driven  feet  could  bring  him, —  his  pink  tongue 
hanging  out,  the  little  heart  of  him  almost  burst- 
ing the  silky  brown  sides,  so  wildly  was  it  pound- 
ing from  terror  and  fatigue.  Around  the  corner 
he  whirled,  landing  right  in  the  midst  of  the  as- 
tonished boy.  Straight  between  Jinks'  feet  he 
ran, —  a  panting,  brown  streak.  Right  into  the 

13 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

snow  went  the  glowing  red  head,  the  brown  dog 
serving  as  an  animated  cushion  to  break  the  fall. 
The  tattered  cap  skipped  nimbly  from  its  precari- 
ous perch,  and  after  several  giddy  gyrations  settled 
down  cosily  in  a  drift  near  a  lamp  post. 

The  sudden  encounter  knocked  all  the  breath 
out  of  both  boy  and  dog.  It  also  knocked  some- 
thing new  and  strange  into  the  boy.  As  he  sat 
up  on  the  pavement  spitting  the  soft  snow  out  of 
his  mouth,  and  wiping  it  off  his  face  with  his 
sleeve,  Jinks  felt  a  faint  stir  under  the  front  of  his 
ragged  jacket, —  a  queer,  warm  stir  it  was,  that 
made  him  suddenly  acutely  conscious  of  a  newly 
sprouted  liking  for  dogs, —  silky  brown  dogs  es- 
pecially. 

For  a  second  the  boy  sat  motionless  in  the  snow, 
staring  with  lively  curiosity  at  the  quivering,  gasp- 
ing little  creature  before  him.  "  I  say,"  he 
grinned  at  last,  reaching  out  a  dirty,  red  hand  to 
pat  the  brown  head.  "  Ain't  you  just  the  very 
bungedupest  little  cuss  ever  I  did  see !  " 

"  I  am  that !  "  acquiesced  the  dog,  his  mourn- 
ful whimper  broken  in  the  middle  by  a  pitiful  gasp 
for  the  breath  so  recently  knocked  out  of  him. 
Then  feeling  the  sympathy  that  radiated  in  an  in- 

14 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

visible  halo  from  the  brilliantly  topped  bundle  of 
rags  before  him,  he  held  up  a  silky  paw  that  hung 
limp  and  nerveless,  mutely  suggesting  that  all  of 
his  afflictions  had  not  yet  received  the  special  no- 
tice he  felt  was  due  them. 

"  Well,  now,  sonny,  ain't  they  just  most  done 
for  you !  Oh,  my !  "  Jinks  cocked  his  glowing 
head  on  one  side  as  he  spoke,  and  looked  critically 
at  the  dog.  For  a  second  the  two  stared  at  each 
other  silently,  both  alike  unmindful  of  the  bitter 
cold.  It  was  a  long  look  that  passed  between  the 
impudent  blue  eyes  and  the  frightened  brown  ones, 
—  a  look  in  which  the  so-called  dumb,  and  the  sup- 
posedly articulate  souls  clasped  hands,  as  it  were, 
and  searched  deep.  It  touched  many  things  be- 
yond the  mental  grasp  of  either  boy  or  dog, — 
sounded  depths  neither  could  measure,  both  of 
whom  were  actively  conscious  of  only  one  big, 
vital  fact, —  the  suddenly  discovered  tie  of  brother- 
hood. 

"  Betcher  life,  I  like  dogs!"  Jinks  spoke  as 
explosively  as  though  a  fire  cracker  had  been 
touched  off  somewhere  in  his  interior.  He  sat 
up  straight  in  the  snow,  an  animation  resulting 
from  his  new  discovery  sending  a  delightful  thrill 

is 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

of  warmth  coursing  all  through  his  half-frozen 
little  anatomy. 

"  Betcher  life  I  like  —  some  boys!"  qualified 
the  dog,  smiling  broadly.  Jinks  patted  his  brown 
head  again,  and  thus  encouraged  he  got  up  to 
move  nearer  this  new-found  friend,  hesitated,  and 
abruptly  sat  down  again.  He  hung  his  head,  cast- 
ing a  sheepish  glance  up  at  Jinks,  then  turned  his 
eyes  rearward  with  an  apologetic  whimper.  He 
was  evidently  too  much  of  a  gentleman  to  call 
attention  to  the  embarrassing  predicament  in 
which  he  found  himself.  His  silence  was  eloquent, 
however,  though  he  only  sat  still  in  the  snow  and 
stared  hard  at  his  tail. 

"Gee!"  sniggered  Jinks,  his  blue  eyes  twin- 
kling as  his  glance  followed  the  dog's.  Then  as 
thorough  understanding  came  to  him,  his  smiles 
vanished  as  suddenly  as  though  attached  to  a  string 
and  hauled  inside.  "  Ain't  that  the  bum  thing !  " 
he  snorted,  leaping  to  his  feet  as  indignation  be- 
gan to  bubble  and  sizzle  inside  him.  "  To  be 
running  a  three-legged  dog,  with  a  tin  can  tied  to 
his  tail!  Oh,  my!" 

Not  wishing  to  make  his  companion  feel  any 
more  uncomfortable  than  he  evidently  already  was, 

16 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

the  boy  bent  down  and  began  to  untie  the  string 
with  red,  numb  fingers.  The  dog  looked  on  a 
moment,  deep  interest  in  his  eyes,  then  his  pink 
tongue  licked  the  hands  that  were  trying  to  free 
him  in  token  of  his  approval  and  appreciation,  and 
also  as  evidence  of  his  readiness  to  assist,  had  his 
will  only  been  backed  by  the  ability.  As  Jinks 
worked  at  the  tight  knot,  the  wind  shrieked  along 
the  icy  street,  cutting  like  a  whip-lash.  Boy  and 
dog  both  shivered  when  the  blast  struck  them, — 
but  with  a  difference.  Jinks  was  used  to  being 
cold,  and  now  he  merely  shrank  up  into  smaller 
compass  within  his  rags,  his  lips  grew  a  little  bluer, 
his  teeth  chattered  a  little  faster, —  but  he  said 
nothing.  The  dog  was  not  accustomed  to  hard- 
ships, his  soft,  well-groomed  coat  silently  pro- 
claimed that  fact,  and  as  the  wind  pierced 
through  his  silky  brown  covering  to  the  tender 
body  inside,  he  whimpered  and  whined  the  vigor- 
ous protest  that  the  boy  unconsciously  felt,  though 
he  had  never,  as  yet,  given  it  verbal  utterance. 

'They  are  right  after  you,  son!  I  hear  'em 
a  coming."  Jinks  raised  his  head  alertly  as  he 
spoke,  and  stood  listening,  one  hand  on  the  dog, 
the  other  grasping  the  rusty  tin  can. 

17 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

From  around  the  next  corner  there  sounded  a 
shrill  yell. 

"  That's  John  Preston.  I'd  know  his  voice 
anywhere!  "  The  boy's  brow  darkened.  Grasp- 
ing the  dog  in  one  arm  he  sprang  into  the  gutter, 
his  slim  figure  erect,  his  freckled  face  hard  and  de- 
fiant, while  out  of  his  blue  eyes  died  the  light  that 
had  proclaimed  his  kinship  to  all  living  creatures. 
They  had  in  an  instant  lost  their  youth,  and  had 
become  the  old,  wise  eyes  that  for  ten  years  had 
looked  out  upon  street  life  in  all  the  heart-wrench- 
ing, soul-stultifying  forms  it  daily  assumed  in  Par- 
adise Alley. 

The  created  creature  had  disappeared  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye.  Where  it  had  stood  was  an 
impish  little  Ishmael  that  cold  and  starvation  com- 
bined were  rapidly  moulding  into  the  caricature  of 
a  man. 

"  Hi,  there,  you  Jinks !  Give  me  my  dog !  "  A 
group  of  well-dressed  boys  dashed  around  the  cor- 
ner, and  brought  up  before  the  ragged  child  stand- 
ing at  bay  in  the  gutter. 

Jinks  grinned  impudently  at  the  tall,  handsome 
chap  who  had  spoken.  "  He  ain't  your  dog !  " 
he  cried,  giving  his  glowing  head  a  jaunty  tilt,  and 

18 


clasping  the  trembling  brown  bundle  he  held  in 
his  left  arm  close  to  the  breast  of  his  ragged  jacket. 
"  He  ain't  —  he  ain't  —  he  ain't!  You  know  he 
ain't !  "  he  chanted  derisively. 

"  I'll  soon  show  you  whose  dog  he  is  if  you 
don't  pass  him  over !  "  John  Preston  stooped  as 
he  spoke,  and  began  to  scoop  up  snow  with  both 
hands  in  a  suggestive  fashion.  Three  of  the  boys 
with  him  at  once  assumed  the  same  frog-like  posi- 
tions, and  also  began  to  gather  snow.  The  fourth, 
a  meager,  pale  little  chap  with  pop-eyed  specta- 
cles, stepped  behind  the  backs  of  the  others,  and 
by  a  series  of  truly  astonishing  facial  twists,  tele- 
graphed to  Jinks  that  he  could  impart  something 
of  vast  importance  had  he  the  chance. 

"  What  you  running  him  on  three  legs  for,  with 
a  tin  can  tied  to  his  tail,  if  he's  your  dog?"  de- 
manded Jinks.  As  he  spoke  he  landed  a  ball  of 
snow  with  careful  precision,  exactly  on  John  Pres- 
ton's left  ear. 

A  roar  of  rage  followed  this  opening  of  hostili- 
ties, and  a  rain  of  balls,  squeezed  round  and 
pressed  hard  by  vigorous  fists,  were  hurled  in  a 
blinding  torrent  full  at  the  ragged  figure  in  the  gut- 
ter. It  soon  began  to  go  hard  with  the  small 

19 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

champion,  for  though  he  fought  gamely,  with  a 
jaunty  defiance  that  was  conducive  to  ultimate  vic- 
tory, he  had  but  one  free  hand,  the  other  being 
fully  occupied  with  preventing  his  squirmy  charge 
from  spilling  bodily  to  the  ground.  Defeat 
loomed  large  before  Jinks'  mental  eyes,  and  with  a 
terrible  sinking  in  the  center  of  his  empty  little 
middle,  he  realized  that  defeat  for  him  meant  cap- 
ture and  possibly  death  for  the  soft,  brown  ball 
palpitating  under  his  left  arm.  A  queer,  sick  pang 
went  through  him.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life 
Jinks  suffered  vicariously. 

"  Gee !  "  he  muttered  confidentially  to  the  back 
of  the  dog's  neck  as  he  bent  to  grasp  a  handful  of 
snow.  ;<  We  got  to  have  some  help  or  it'll  pretty 
soon  be  up  with  you,  son !  "  With  a  jaunty  tilt 
of  his  chin  he  stood  upright,  and  sent  the  newly 
made  ball  flying  straight  at  the  top  of  John  Pres- 
ton's head.  As  it  struck,  powdering  the  tall  boy's 
dark  hair  thick  with  hoary  white,  Jinks  stuck  two 
fingers  between  his  lips  and  whistled  shrilly.  Three 
times  he  sent  the  clear  notes  ringing  out  on  the 
cold  air  in  such  quick  succession  that  the  other  boys 
recognized  them  as  a  signal,  and  hooted  derisively. 

So  promptly  did  the  answer  come  to  the  whis- 

20 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

tied  help-call,  that  the  little  figure  whirling  around 
the  corner  out  of  Paradise  Alley,  its  tattered  skirts 
flapping  about  long,  coltish  legs,  might  literally 
have  sprung  out  of  the  ground. 

"It's  them  up-town  chaps,  Sis!"  Jinks  piped, 
as  a  big  ball  of  snow,  propelled  by  Jimmy  Wray's 
arm,  sent  him  reeling  against  the  fence. 

With  one  of  the  quick,  impatient  gestures  char- 
acteristic of  her,  Sis  tossed  aside  a  mass  of  dark 
hair  from  a  pair  of  big  gray  eyes,  as  bright  and 
untamed  as  those  of  a  young  hawk.  '  What  they 
done?  "  she  demanded,  leaping  into  the  gutter  be- 
side Jinks  with  the  agility  of  a  petticoated  spider, 
and  pushing  up  her  sleeves  as  she  spoke. 

"  It's  —  a  —  dog !  A  —  three-legged  —  one, 
and  a  —  tin  —  can  tied  —  to  his  tail !  "  The  brief 
words  of  explanation  were  propelled  out  of  Jinks 
in  a  series  of  popgun-like  explosions,  the  cause 
being  the  rapidity  with  which  he  was  alternately 
dodging  balls,  and  bending  to  grasp  the  white 
means  of  retaliation.  "  Give  'em  ginger,  Sis!  " 

"  Sure !  Three  legs, —  and  a  tin  can !  "  Sis 
spoke  briefly,  her  big  eyes  flashing  from  the  trem- 
bling dog  in  Jinks'  arms  to  the  crowd  of  well- 
dressed  boys  confronting  her.  Then  she  nodded 

21 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

her  thorough  mental  grasp  of  the  situation  in  its 
entirety,  and  in  another  second  was  scooping  up 
snow  with  both  brown  hands  in  a  scientific  fashion 
evidently  perfected  by  long  practice. 

The  snow  battle  assumed  another  aspect  with 
the  advent  of  the  small  amazon  from  Paradise 
Alley  upon  the  scene  of  action.  In  an  incredibly 
short  time  Sis  was  the  animated  center  from  which 
poured  a  steady  hail  of  balls  as  round  and  hard 
as  rocks,  and  so  well  directed  that  very  soon  two 
small  noses  had  added  a  touch  of  brilliant  scarlet 
to  the  general  whiteness  of  the  landscape. 

'  You  better  give  me  my  dog!  "  shouted  John, 
the  full  force  of  his  command  being  lost  in  a  vain 
endeavor  to  swallow  part  of  a  snow  ball  Sis  had 
landed  full  in  his  wide-open  mouth. 

"  He  ain't  your  dog,  John  Preston !  You 
know  he  ain't!  "  Jinks  shrilled  back  in  reply. 

"He  ain't,  Jinks,  he  ain't!"  From  behind 
Jimmy  Wray  there  suddenly  twittered  the  thin  lit- 
tle voice  of  Billy  King.  Billy  gave  his  inner  quak- 
ings  an  outer  prop  by  clasping  his  tan-gloved  fin- 
gers tight  across  his  trigly  overcoate3  solar-plexus. 
Thus  braced,  his  wobbly  legs  brought  him  out  into 
the  middle  of  the  street.  "  I  tell  you  he  ain't,  he 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

ain't!  "  he  piped  like  a  tightly  wound  up  phono- 
graph. "  He  ain't  nobody's  dog  but  just  his  own 
self's.  We  found  him  sitting  on  a  corner  catching 
a  flea!" 

"  Take  that,  you  little  sneak !  "  As  he  passed  on 
a  run,  John  Preston  thrust  forth  a  stoutly  shod  foot 
and,  tripping  Billy,  sent  him  sprawling  on  his  back 
in  the  snow.  The  little  chap  lay  where  he  fell, 
paddling  aimlessly  with  his  arms  and  kicking  fee- 
bly with  his  legs  as  might  an  overturned  kitten. 

"  O-h-h-h,  my !  But  ain't  you  the  sneak  your- 
self!  Kicking  a  little  chap  that  ain't  growed  him 
any  spunk-uper  to  fight  with  yet  1  "  Jinks  gave  a 
wild-cat  yell,  and  tossed  the  dog  he  held  to  Sis. 
She  caught  the  burden  deftly,  as  though  expecting 
it,  and  tucking  it  under  her  arm  without  any  com- 
ment, went  on  with  her  ball-making  and  ball-throw- 
ing. 

"  I  made  your  old  nose  all  blodgy  once  before 
for  doing  dirt  to  Billy  King.  I'll  fix  it  again !  " 
Like  a  two-legged  whirlwind  Jinks  leaped  on  John 
Preston,  butting,  kicking,  clawing  and  punching 
all  at  once.  The  older  boy  writhed  to  and  fro  in 
a  vain  endeavor  to  break  loose  from  the  small 
fury  that  had  attacked  him.  Trying  to  dislodge 

23 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Jinks,  though,  was  very  much  like  shaking  off  a 
sheet  of  fly  paper,  whose  adhesive  qualities  he 
seemed  to  possess.  At  each  shake  that  John  gave, 
Jinks  not  only  attached  himself  the  tighter  where 
he  was,  but  managed  to  stick  in  an  entirely  new 
place. 

"  You  just  take  that !  And  next  time  you  want 
to  fight  pitch  into  somebody  besides  a  three-legged 
dog  and  a  boy  too  staggery  in  his  legs  to  stand 
up !  "  Jinks  panted.  At  the  same  moment  his 
brown  fist  landed  a  vicious  blow  on  the  end  of  the 
aspiring  knob  that  ornamented  the  center  of  John's 
face.  A  howl  of  anguish  followed,  and  ejecting 
a  gusty  breath,  indicative  of  soul-satisfaction,  Jinks 
turned  his  victim  loose,  grasped  the  dog  again,  and 
rejoined  Sis  in  the  gutter. 

Billy  King  sat  up  in  the  snow,  all  his  recent 
courage  escaping  through  the  pores  of  his  aenemic 
skin.  "  He  ain't!  "  he  whimpered  to  himself,  as 
the  battle  swept  farther  down  the  street,  leaving 
him  alone.  Blinking  something  out  of  his  eyes, 
he  struggled  to  his  feet  and,  crossing  weakly  to  the 
fence,  leaned  there,  watching  the  other  boys  long- 
ingly through  his  pop-eyed  glasses. 

For  two  years  Billy  had  adored  Jinks  at  a  dis- 
24 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

tance  with  all  the  fervor  of  his  timid  heart,  long- 
ing to  claim  the  gutter  boy  for  a  friend  as  he  had 
never  before  longed  for  anything  in  his  sheltered, 
hot-house  life.  For  to  the  only  child  of  the  banker 
Jinks  possessed  every  desirable  trait  and  accom- 
plishment that  could  belong  to  a  boy.  His  slim 
brown  legs  could  run  faster  than  any  one's  in  the 
whole  town;  he  could  bound  on  and  off.  swiftly 
moving  vehicles  with  the  lightness  of  a  bird  in 
flight,  and  was  quite  as  much  at  ease  standing  on 
his  head  as  he  was  on  his  heels. 

Besides  these  greatly-to-be-desired  accomplish- 
ments, Jinks  was  friends  with  people  and  things 
whose  mere  acquaintance  Billy  King  ached  to  pos- 
sess. Jinks  and  the  ashman  were  sworn  pals;  he 
marched  through  the  streets  beside  every  band  that 
came  to  town,  and  pranced  along  close  to  the  big- 
gest elephant  whenever  there  was  a  circus  parade. 
Then  Jinks'  gay  audacity  was  not  even  awed  by 
the  big  policeman  whose  beat  lay  around  the  hand- 
some square  whereon  Billy's  home  stood.  He 
had  seen  Jinks  actually  scamper  up  behind  the  of- 
ficer's broad,  blue  back  one  day  and  tweak  the 
flowing  tail  of  his  august  coat!  The  very  thought 
of  such  courage  made  Billy  grow  weak  in  his  neat 

25 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

little  knees,  though  at  the  same  time  it  sent  a  thrill 
of  delight  coursing  through  his  body,  that  some- 
how was  always  cold  and  always  tired. 

In  the  queer,  occult  fashion  whereby  boys  hold 
silent  communication  with  each  other,  Jinks  knew 
of  Billy's  adoration.  In  return  he  bestowed  upon 
his  small  satellite  a  lordly  patronage  that  the 
banker's  son  accepted  humbly,  his  gratitude  in 
nowise  affected  by  the  fact  that  his  tow  head  did 
not  touch  even  the  lowest  branch  of  his  towering 
family  tree,  while  Jinks  did  not  possess  a  name  at 
all,  life  having  been  thrust  upon  him  without  that 
badge  of  respectability.  As  yet,  though,  he  had 
not  felt  the  sinister  lack,  the  mere  act  of  living  de- 
manding all  his  time,  as  well  as  all  the  cunning 
that  had  been  engrafted  in  his  mind  by  the  work- 
ing out  of  Nature's  first  inexorable  law  in  the  at- 
mosphere of  Paradise  Alley. 

After  its  plunge  down  the  street,  the  snow-bat- 
tle swerved  back  to  the  starting  point.  Sis  was 
still  the  center  of  operations,  fighting  silently,  but 
with  the  steadiness  of  a  well-regulated  projectile- 
propelling  machine. 

*  You  better  give  me  my  dog !  "     John  Pres- 
ton spoke  sullenly.     He  was  tired,   as  were  the 

26 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

other  boys,  for  buttoned  into  heavy  overcoats, 
gloved  and  be-leggined  as  they  were,  their  excess 
baggage  was  beginning  to  tell  on  them  in  the  strug- 
gle with  their  scantily-clad  opponents. 

"Just  you  come  and  get  him!  "  chanted  Jinks, 
tilting  his  chin  as  gamely  as  though  he  was  not 
numb  with  cold  and  panting  with  a  weariness  in- 
tensified by  emptiness. 

"  You  better  git  out  of  here,  all  of  you  1  If  you 
don't  we  are  going  to  let  snow  balls  alone  and  take 
to  fists.  Then  we'll  claw  your  jaw,  and  pinch  your 
year,  and  chunk  you  in  the  stummick  so  hard 
you'll  wish  you  never  had  gone  and  got  yourselfs 
born  1  "  Sis  shook  her  head  threateningly  as  she 
tossed  aside  a  handful  of  snow.  "  I  mean  it. 
I'm  plum  wore  out  fooling  with  you !  "  Her  eyes 
blazing  with  the  light  of  battle,  her  hands  doubled 
up  into  two  fists  that  were  performing  an  unpleas- 
ant rotary  movement  around  each  other,  she  danced 
sidewise  towards  John  Preston. 

The  up-town  boys  fell  back  at  her  approach. 

"  Aw,  I  say,  John !  Who  wants  an  old,  lame 
dog  any  way!  All  the  run's  out  of  him.  Come 
on  and  let's  go  to  the  river  and  skate !  "  Jimmy 
shook  the  snow  off  his  cap  and  turned  towards  the 

27 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

corner  that  led  to  the  main  street.  The  others 
followed,  John  turning  to  throw  a  dark  glance  at 
Jinks.  He  muttered  a  few  threats,  but  they  were 
subdued. 

All  the  crowd  eyed  Sis  askance,  as  she  stood 
in  the  middle  of  the  street,  her  tatters  fluttering 
in  the  wind.  They  had  had  past  experiences  with 
her  when  she  "  took  to  fists." 

"  Get  erlong !  Get  erlong !  "  cried  Jinks  with  a 
derisive  crow.  He  followed  the  command  with 
a  shower  of  Paradise  Alley  epithets  that  made 
little  Billy  King  grow  pop-eyed  with  a  horror  that 
propelled  him  around  the  corner  and  out  of  sight 
at  a  staggery  trot. 

Sis  wiped  her  wet,  purple  hands  on  her  skirt 
and  turned  towards  Jinks.  He  was  standing  in 
the  gutter,  his  feet  far  apart,  and  the  dog  in  his 
arms. 

He  cocked  a  good-comradely  blue  eye  at  Sis 
when  she  paused  beside  him,  and  presented  her  with 
so  beamy  a  grin  that  it  quite  obliterated  the  dirti- 
ness of  his  face  and  the  raggedness  of  his  clothes. 
'  You  are  just  the  dandy  chap  in  a  fight,  Sis!  " 
The  honest  admiration  in  his  voice  was  in  no- 
wise dampened  by  the  fact  that  he  had  often 

28 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

suffered  severely  from  his  companion's  pugilistic 
powers. 

"  Huh !  "  Sis  turned  the  shiver  that  shook  her 
from  teeth  to  toes  into  a  careless  shrug.  "  The 
downest  side's  always  mine,  and  I  pick  it  as  I  come. 
I  can  light  a  fighting  then,  and  not  lose  no  time  a 
choosing." 

"  Just  you  look  at  the  dog,  Sis.  Ain't  he  the 
sandiest  little  cuss  ever  you  saw?  All  of  him 
wagging's  hard's  ever  it  can.  Think  of  having 
any  wag  left  in  you  after  being  run  on  three  legs, 
and  a  tin  can  tied  to  your  tail !  " 

"  He's  an  awful  pretty  dog,  Jinks."  Sis 
touched  the  broken  paw  that  rested  on  Jinks' 
ragged  sleeve  with  fingers  grown  very  gentle. 
"  Let's  set  down  and  see  how  bad  he's  hurt,"  she 
said.  Her  voice  had  lost  its  edge,  her  great,  gray 
eyes  their  battle  fire.  They  were  soft  and  brood- 
ing as  she  returned  the  friendly  grin  the  dog  gave 
her  with  a  sudden,  flashing  smile  that  quite  trans- 
formed her  little,  dark  face. 

"  All  right.  We  can  set  here  as  well  as  any- 
where else,  and  you  tie  him  up."  As  he  spoke 
Jinks  sat  flat  down  in  the  gutter,  unmindful  of  the 
ice  and  snow. 

29 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Without  demur  Sis  took  her  place  at  his  side,  and 
the  red  and  the  black  heads  at  once  bent  absorbedly 
over  the  silky  brown  one. 


CHAPTER  TWO 

"  What  this  dog  needs,  and  needs  just  awful 
bad,  is  to  be  tied  up  good  and  tight,"  said  Sis  with 
an  emphatic  nod  of  her  fly-away  locks.  At  her 
words,  spoken  in  a  tone  of  command,  Jinks  grew 
visibly  depressed.  He  stared  at  his  small  com- 
panion in  silence  for  a  second,  then  a  wriggle  shook 
his  skinny  little  form  that  was  more  from  internal 
pain  than  external  cold. 

"  He'd  ought  to  be  tied  up  good  and  tight 
right  away,  I  guess,"  he  said  in  a  tone  that  in- 
dicated an  unvoiced  hope  lying  behind  the  uttered 
words. 

Sis  nodded  vigorous  assent  to  the  question. 
"  I've  got  all  the  dirt  washed  out  of  his  paw  and 
the  bones  fixed  just  beautiful.  I  know  they  are 
for  they  don't  scrunch  any  more,  and  he  don't  yell 
when  I  touch  it  either.  All  he  needs  now  is  to  be 
tied  up  tight  so's  he  can't  come  loose  inside  of  his 
skin." 

Like  two  ragged  little  frogs  Jinks  and  Sis  sat 
31 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

in  the  gutter  on  either  side  of  the  suffering  dog. 
He  had  been  carefully  placed  on  Sis's  outspread 
skirt  that  he  might  not  feel  the  iciness  of  the  snow 
upon  which  the  children  sat  with  a  philosophical 
unconcern  resulting  from  long  familiarity  with  the 
discomforts  of  street  life.  They  were  both  un- 
conscious of  the  bitter  cold  as  they  bent  with  eager 
intentness  over  their  patient.  The  dog  also  had 
evinced  a  deep  and  becoming  interest  in  the  pro- 
longed examination  of  his  injuries.  He  had  licked 
Sis's  dirty,  ministering  fingers  in  an  ecstasy  of 
friendliness  as  she  skillfully  adjusted  the  broken 
bones,  and,  that  Jinks  might  not  feel  slighted,  he 
had  at  once  extended  his  uninjured  paw  for  a  hand- 
shake. He  was  too  well-bred  a  little  gentleman 
willfully  to  hurt  any  one's  feelings. 

"  Sand !  My  eye,  Sis  1  Ain't  he  just  plum  full 
to  busting  with  it,  as  well  as  wag?"  Jinks 
beamed,  the  pride  of  possession  sending  a  faint 
tinge  of  color  to  his  face  that  had  grown  pinched 
and  blue  with  the  cold. 

'  The  sand  and  wag  are  both  there  all  right, 
but  what  he  needs  is  to  be  tied  up,  I  tell  you !  "  re- 
turned Sis  emphatically,  her  practical  tone  bring- 
ing Jinks  back  to  the  realities  of  the  case  with  such 

32 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

a  jolt  that  he  sat  up  straight  in  the  snow,  and 
stared  at  her  with  wide,  troubled  blue  eyes. 

"  I  say,  Sis,  where  you  think  we  are  going  to 
get  even  a  stitch  to  put  on  him?  "  he  demanded, 
his  depression  growing  so  deep  he  was  almost  lost 
in  the  murkiness  of  it. 

"  I  don't  know, —  when  it  comes  to  stitches, 
Jinks,  I  just  don't  know."  Sis's  small  face  re- 
flected the  deep  gloom  on  Jinks'.  She  shook 
her  head,  then  got  slowly  to  her  feet.  "  Cross 
my  heart,  Jinks,  I  just  dassent  tear  off  another  scrap 
in  front,  though  maybe  I  can  manage  to  spare 
some  from  behind."  She  nearly  dislocated  her 
skinny  little  neck  as  she  spoke  in  an  endeavor  to 
get  a  rear  view  of  her  skimpy  skirts.  "  You  look 
real  hard  now  as  I  go  round,  and  see  if  you  can 
find  a  loose  end  flying  anywhere." 

Jinks  clasped  his  hands  about  his  knees  and  sur- 
veyed her  critically  as  she  slowly  revolved  before 
him.  His  freckled  face  was  all  a-pucker,  and  the 
interest  in  his  eyes  was  so  intense  that  it  was  akin 
to  pain.  '  You  are  right, —  you  just  dassent,"  he 
said  mournfully.  "  Cause  I  tell  you  for  true,  Sis, 
if  you  do  take  off  even  a  string  more,  you'll  be 
plum  in  your  skin." 

33 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

Sis  nodded.  "  And  skin  ain't  a  mite  of  good 
for  keeping  the  cold  out  of  you,"  said  she  in  the 
tone  of  one  who  knew. 

Jinks  gave  her  another  critical  glance  as  she  sat 
down  in  the  snow  and  lifted  the  dog  into  her  lap. 
"  You  don't  seem  to  have  on  as  much  as  you  did 
yesterday,"  he  said. 

"  I  ain't,"  returned  Sis.  "  I  tore  off  all  I  could 
spare  to  tie  up  Andy  Jackson  Banny's  finger.  He 
mashed  it  in  the  door  plum  awful  to-day.  That 
makes  five  he's  got  tied  up  at  once." 

"  Ain't  nobody  in  Paradise  Alley  ever  had 
that  many  sore  fingers  before,"  said  Jinks,  interest 
in  the  afflictions  of  Andy  driving  away  for  a  sec- 
ond the  gloom  engendered  by  the  lack  of  a  loose 
end  on  Sis. 

14  Well,  I'm  real  pleased  for  Andy  Jackson. 
It's  just  grand  for  the  Bannys  to  have  enough  of 
something  one  time  'sides  children.  Maudine's 
real  uppety  about  it,  for  her  being  cross-eyed  and 
seeing  things  double,  she's  seen  ten  sore  fingers  on 
Andy  at  once.  I  told  her  while  I  was  a-tying  him 
up  that  if  she  got  any  uppetier  I'd  settle  her 
good  and  plenty.  I'd  just  as  soon  pinch  her  year 
and  claw  her  jaw  and  chunk  her  in  the  stummick 

34 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

as  not,  for  I  ain't  going  to  stand  any  foolishness 
from  that  Maudine !  Not  a  mite !  " 

A  heavy  sigh  was  discharged  from  Jinks'  lips 
in  the  form  of  a  tiny  gray  cloud.  "  I  just  wish 
Andy  had  waited  until  to-morrow  to  get  himself 
mashed,"  he  said.  "  Then  we  could  have  tied  the 
dog  up  in  your  scraps." 

"  Ain't  you  got  nothing  yourself  you  can 
spare  ?  "  Sis  demanded,  turning  a  calculating  eye 
upon  her  companion. 

Jinks  passed  an  investigating  hand  over  his  own 
ragged  clothing.  The  search  was  thorough,  but 
necessarily  brief.  He  sighed  again.  "  I  ain't 
double  anywhere,  Sis,  cross-my-heart  I  ain't!  If 
I  pull  off  a  single  piece  there  won't  be  nothing  but 
me  left  under  the  hole."  Jinks  shook  his  head; 
Sis  shook  hers ;  and,  that  he  might  seem  to  take  a 
proper  interest  in  the  consultation,  the  dog  wagged 
the  tip  of  a  curly,  brown  tail. 

"  Ain't  he  got  sense,  though !  "  Again  Jinks' 
beams  obliterated  the  blighting  marks  of  the  cold. 

"  He's  a  plum  lovely  dog,"  replied  Sis.  "  But 
I  tell  you,  Jinks,  he's  gotter  be  tied  up !  " 

A  broad  grin  suddenly  spread  over  Jinks'  small 
freckled  face.  In  his  eyes  there  flashed  the  light 

35 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

of  inspiration.  "Just  you  wait!"  he  said.  As 
he  spoke  he  ducked  his  head,  and  dived  down 
his  back  with  both  hands. 

"  I  say,  what's  the  matter  with  you  ?  "  demanded 
Sis,  staring  with  lively  curiosity  at  the  ragged  bun- 
dle before  her,  which  was  going  through  a  series 
of  queer  contortions,  not  unlike  those  of  a  four- 
legged  snake  trying  to  skin  itself.  "  What  you 
trying  to  turn  yourself  inside  outside  for?  " 

"  I'm  a-tearing  out  a  piece  of  my  shirt  in  the 
back  to  tie  up  the  dog,"  came  in  smothered  tones 
from  the  pit  of  Jinks'  stomach.  "  I'm  getting  it 
from  behind  so's  I  can't  see  the  hole,  and  then  I 
won't  be  knowing  all  the  time  how  awful  cold  I 
am."  And  having  unknowingly  voiced  the  great 
psychological  fact  that  the  consciousness  of  things 
intensifies  the  effect,  Jinks  continued  his  efforts  at 
apparent  self-cuticle-removing. 

Sis  watched  him  silently  a  moment;  then,  as 
thorough  understanding  came  to  her,  her  great 
gray  eyes  softened,  and  her  close-shut  lips  curved, 
and  she  sat  a  second  looking  down  the  wide,  white 
street,  one  little  purple  hand  smoothing  the  dog, 
the  other  pushing  back  the  mass  of  dark  hair  that 
the  wind  blew  across  her  face.  "  It  ain't  the  eye- 

36 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

seeing  part  that  hurts  the  worsest,  Jinks,"  she  said 
in  a  low  tone  as  he  passed  her  the  dirty  scrap 
he  had  secured.  "  It's  the  knowing  things  right 
in  your  very  own  middle  where  you  ain't  got  any 
eyes, —  at  least  where  you  ain't  got  any  that  you 
look  with.  I  shut  the  door  tight  sometimes,  so's 
I  can't  see  how  drunk  Granny  is,  and  set  on  the 
step  outside.  But  I  know  all  the  time  right  in 
my  inside,  and  that's  a  lot  harder  know  than  if  I 
was  right  there  looking  at  her." 

"  Well,  I  ain't  going  to  mind  about  being  some 
colder  in  my  back  if  it'll  just  tie  the  dog  up,  and 
get  him  all  mended  together  again  so's  he'll  stick 
and  can  run  same's  other  dogs  can,"  said  Jinks, 
grinning  cheerfully.  "  I'll  be  seeing  him  so  hard 
all  the  time  now  I've  got  him,  Sis,  I  ain't  going  to 
have  no  time  to  be  knowing  about  the  cold  hole 
he's  made."  All  the  boy's  gloom  had  disap- 
peared. He  beamed  at  Sis  like  a  little,  red-haired 
gargoyle  as  she  skillfully  bound  up  the  broken 
paw. 

Jinks'  path  since  babyhood  had  vibrated  be- 
tween the  gutter  by  day  and  empty  boxes  by  night, 
and  yet,  in  some  strange  way,  he  had  kept  deep 
within  him  a  stream  of  pure  heart-sunshine.  At 

37 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

the  least  encouragement  this  inside  light  shone  out 
brilliantly,  penetrating  through  the  thick  coating 
of  dirt  and  defiance  that  he  had  annexed  during  his 
ten  years  in  Paradise  Alley. 

As  he  sat  looking  from  Sis  to  the  dog  and  back 
again,  the  warmth  that  was  all  a-bubble  within  him 
permeated  the  air  until  Sis  felt  its  influence,  and 
smiled  genially  as  they  arose  to  their  feet  after 
tying  the  last  knot  in  the  rag  about  the  broken 
paw. 

"  He's  all  right  now,"  she  said,  patting  the 
curly  head  that  popped  out  from  under  the  shel- 
ter of  Jinks'  jacket  to  bestow  a  facetious  grin  on 
her.  "  In  a  week  he'll  be  as  good  as  new.  I  just 
know  he  will,  Jinks,  by  the  feel  I  got  in  my  mid- 
dle." 

'  Where  we  going  to  now?  "  asked  Jinks  as  they 
stood  facing  each  other  on  the  sidewalk,  the  wind 
cutting  with  knife-like  keenness  through  their  rags. 

Sis  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  shook  back  her 
dark  elf-locks.  "  Not  nowhere,"  she  said. 
1  There  just  ain't  nowhere  to  go,  Jinks,  'cepting 
the  store  windows,  and  it's '  so  awful  cold  for 
them.  Looking  in  'em  makes  you  just  get  rag- 
gedier  and  raggedier  and  frozer  and  frozen  It's 

38 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

because  it's  Christmas,  I  guess,  that  they  look  so 
warm  they  make  you  cold  plum  down  to  the  mid- 
dle of  your  stummick." 

Jinks  turned  a  shrewd,  blue  eye  on  his  compan- 
ion. "Your  grammar  drunk  again?"  he  asked. 

Sis  noded.  "  Sure.  All  the  way  through, 
'specially  in  her  legs.  Came  in  this  morning  full, 
and  she's  been  drinking  hard  all  day." 

"Put  you  out?"  asked  Jinks,  lively  sympathy 
in  his  voice. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  it  was  'specially  in  her  legs  ? 
She  kicked  me  out,  half-way  down  the  stairs." 
Sis  spoke  with  the  cheerfulness  of  one  stating  an 
occurrence  that  had  grown  too  common  to  be  of 
any  special  moment.  "  As  I  was  started,  I  just 
went  on  down  the  other  half  to  Mrs.  Banny's. 
That's  how  come  I  found  out  about  Andy  Jack- 
son's finger,  and  gave  him  a  piece  of  me  to  tie 
himself  up  in.  There  ain't  even  rags  at  the 
Bannys'." 

"  I  say,  Sis  —  are  they  still  looking  for  Santa 
Claus  to  come  to-night?"  The  eagerness  in 
Jinks'  eyes  cooled  a  little  beneath  the  matter-of- 
fact  nod  Sis  gave  him. 

"  Of  course,  they  are.  Maudine's  an  awful 
39 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

pig,  too,  that's  what  she  is,  for  seeing  double  like 
she  does  she's  so  took  up  with  what  she'll  get, 
she's  hung  up  the  biggest  bag  in  the  bunch !  " 

"  I  wonder  if  he'll  come, —  I  just  wonder  if  he 
will!  I  say,  Sis,  did  he  ever  go  to  your  room?  " 
Jinks  huddled  his  tattered  jacket  about  the  shiv- 
ering dog,  and  came  close  to  Sis,  his  eyes  big  and 
wide  with  the  mightiness  of  the  question  within. 

"  No,  he  never !  "  retorted  Sis  shortly. 
"  Nothing  and  nobody  ever  did  come  to  my  room 
'cept  the  perlice  to  take  Granny  off  to  the  station- 
house." 

"  He  never  has  been  to  mine  either."  Jinks 
spoke  wistfully,  then  his  face  brightened  with  a 
new  thought  that  had  popped  up  from  somewhere 
in  his  interior.  "  But,  Sis,  maybe  it's  because  he 
didn't  know  how  to  get  in  boxes  and  barrels  where 
me'n'  Tommy  lives  mostly.  And  we  ain't  ever 
had  any  stockings  for  him  to  put  things  in  either. 
Even  our  legs  can't  hardly  stay  in  'em  for  they 
are  all  busted  through.  I  say,  Sis,  do  you  think 
it's  so,  about  Santa  Claus,  you  know?  "  Jinks'  face 
was  strained  and  anxious,  as  he  waited  for  the  reply. 

Sis  stood  on  one  foot,  scratching  the  leg  of  the 
other  with  the  toe  of  her  ragged  shoe.  Her  face 

40 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

had  lost  its  defiance,  her  weirdly  beautiful  eyes 
their  hardness.  She  turned  a  glance  on  Jinks  that 
the  boy  knew  sub-consciously  did  not  see  him  at 
all.  She  seemed  to  be  looking  intently  at  some- 
thing that  lay  deep  within. 

A  beaming  smile  tucked  up  the  corners  of  Jinks' 
mouth.  He  knew  that  look, —  every  child  in  Par- 
adise Alley  knew  it.  It  meant  that  very  soon 
stories  would  come  pouring  from  Sis's  lips  so  fast 
the  words  literally  tumbled  over  each  other  in 
their  haste  to  be  uttered:  wonderful  stories  they 
were,  too,  strange  and  improbable,  but  whose  very 
wildness  bore  the  ragged  crowd  hanging  on  her 
words  to  regions  so  far  removed  from  the  cold 
and  filth  of  Paradise  Alley,  that  their  return  was 
usually  such  a  severe  mental  bump  it  came  close 
to  being  a  tragedy. 

"  I  say,  Sis,"  hinted  Jinks,  twitching  her  sleeve. 
He  had  a  vivid  memory  of  past  experiences. 
"  Don't  you  sail  too  high !  When  you  get  a  big 
go  on  you  we  has  to  come  far  down  and  I  always 
feel  like  I  done  bit  my  tongue,  though  I  know  I 
ain't,  when  I  light." 

"  I  was  s'posing  a  lovely  lady  and  a  beautiful 
Santa  Claus,  and  here  you  come,  Jinks,  butting 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

right  in  and  busting  my  s'pose  into  scraps."  Sis 
snapped,  the  dreaminess  gone  from  her  eyes  and 
the  smile  from  her  lips.  "  I  don't  see  why  you 
can't  keep  yourself  quiet  while  folks  are  doing 
'em  a  s'pose  right  in  their  very  own  inside!  " 

"  Well,  I  wanted  you  to  come  on  back  here 
and  tell  me  if  you  believe  there's  a  Santa  Claus 
for  true.  And  you  looked  that  batty  I  just  knew 
you'd  done  flew  plum  out  the  top  of  your 
head.  What  you  think,  Sis,  is  there  one,  do  you 
guess?  " 

44 1  dunno !  But  when  I  heard  about  it  I  just 
said  there  and  then  that  the  Bannys  are  going  to 
have  a  try  for  it  any  way.  It  made  me  have  a 
little  happy  singing  in  my  middle  to  think  of  their 
getting  something  free  besides  children — 'spe- 
cially seeing  Providence  has  already  sent  a  visita- 
tion of  them  to  poor  Mrs.  Banny." 

14  Well,"  comforted  Jinks.  "  They  can  have  a 
try  at  the  maybe  any  way,  and  if  it  don't  work 
they'll  know  you  did  your  best  for  'em,  Sis." 

Sis's  face  brightened.     She  threw  a  very  kind 

glance  at  the  small  freckled  face  before  her  with 

the  brown  dog's  head  bobbing  close  under  its  chin. 

4  You  are  the  very  understandingest  person  ever 

42 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

I  did  see,  Jinks,"  she  said  graciously.  "  I  hope 
awful  hard  Santa  Claus  will  come  to  our  Alley 
and  if  he  does  maybe —  maybe  —  oh,  my,  Jinks, 
just  s'posin'  he  was  to  bring  you  a  coat  and  me  a 
cloak?"  Sis's  eyes  had  taken  on  their  dreamy 
look  again,  when  Jinks  brought  her  back  to  reali- 
ties with  a  resounding  thump  on  her  back. 

"Stop  it!"  he  snorted.  "You  done  flewed 
enough  for  to-day.  You  come  right  on  back  here 
where  I'm  at,  and  let's  go  somewhere!  It's  get- 
ting colder  and  later  and  darker  every  minute !  " 

"  What'll  we  do,  and  where'll  we  go?"  de- 
manded Sis,  returning  Jinks'  thump  with  a  sting- 
ing slap  on  his  shoulder  that  made  him  stagger. 

"  I  dunno,"  said  Jinks,  rubbing  his  shoulder. 
"  It's  getting  colder  and  colder  every  minute  like 
I  told  you,  and  it's  the  kind  of  cold  that  just 
chews  right  straight  into  your  inside  and  you  can't 
get  away  from  it,  no  matter  how  hard  you  try." 
There  was  the  tragic  finality  born  of  certain  knowl- 
edge in  Jinks'  tone.  He  thrust  one  red  hand  into 
a  ragged  pocket  and  with  the  other  clasped  the 
dog  under  his  jacket  close. 

Sis  fastened  a  keen  glance  on  Jinks.  There 
was  eager  expectancy  growing  in  her  eyes,  and  a 

43 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

very  great  longing  was  in  her  voice  when  she 
spoke.  "  What  you  got  to  tell,  Jinks?  I'd  most 
forgot  all  about  that.  Though  I  ain't  believing 
it's  much,  or  else  you'd  a  spilt  it  out  before  this. 
If  I'd  knowed  something  good  to  tell  I'd  'a'  been 
swoll  up  so  tight  with  it  by  this  time  I  know  I'd 
'a'  busted." 

Jinks  looked  blank.  "  I  dunno  what  I  know," 
said  he.  "  Cross-my-heart,  I  don't,  Sis." 

"  Well,  you'd  better  find  it  out  mighty  quick 
or  I'll  punch  your  stummick  until  you  think  it 
up !  "  Sis's  chin  tilted  aggressively.  "  What'd 
you  yell  for,  then,  'fore  you  whistled,  that's  what 
I  want  to  know?  How  I  got  here  so  quick 
was  because  I  didn't  have  to  do  nothing  but  come, 
for  I  had  done  started  at  your  yell." 

"  Oh-h-h-h !  "  Jinks  suddenly  beamed  from 
ear  to  ear  as  an  unexpected  turn  of  his  memory 
wheel  brought  to  the  surface  the  thing  he  had  for- 
gotten. "  Sis,  it's  the  plum  glorisomest  something 
ever  I  did  know.  If  only  the  other  boys  ain't 
smole  it  out  and  et  it  up  afore  this!  " 

"  What  is  it?  "  demanded  Sis,  shaking  her  head 
belligerently.  "  You'd  better  tell  quick  afore  I 
jump  right  smack  on  you !  " 

44 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  You  are  always  in  such  a  hurry  fit,  Sis,  you 
most  push  what  a  fellow  knows  out  of  him  afore  he 
gets  it  hitched  in  his  knower  real  good!  I  ain't 
going  to  spill  any  of  it  out,  not  a  mite  —  not  even 
a  think,  until  the  rest  of  the  boys  get  here,  I  ain't 
caring  how  hard  you  jump !  "  There  was  de- 
fiance in  Jinks'  blue  eyes,  finality  in  his  high,  sweet 
voice. 

"  You  gotter  whistle  for  'em  then  right  now !  " 
snapped  Sis.  "  You  gotter  whistle  long,  and  you 
gotter  whistle  loud!  I'll  yell,  for  that'll  help  to 
make  'em  hurry  their  selfs  up." 

Whistle  and  yell  at  once  burst  forth,  sent  by  all 
the  power  the  cold  had  left  in  the  two  children. 
And,  that  he  might  do  his  part,  the  brown  dog 
thrust  his  curly  head  out  of  Jinks'  jacket  and 
howled  aloud. 


CHAPTER  THREE 

"  Aw,  I  say,  Jinks,  you  arc  just  jollying  us !  You 
never  seen  nothing  good  to  eat  in  that  barrel !  " 
There  was  disbelief  in  Tommy's  voice,  but  longing 
in  his  dark  eyes.  As  he  spoke  he  shivered  and 
then  blew  upon  his  red  fingers  to  warm  them. 

Jinks  shivered,  too,  and  his  teeth  chattered  like 
castanets.  He  was  used  to  such  things,  though, 
and  now,  when  the  wind  cut  through  his  rags  like 
a  whip,  he  merely  hunched  his  skinny  shoulders 
up  closer  under  his  red  ears  and  clasped  the  dog 
he  held  beneath  his  jacket  in  a  tighter  grasp. 
Aside  from  the  desire  to  protect  the  soft,  brown 
creature  he  had  rescued,  the  plump,  little  body  was 
deliciously  warm  to  the  half-frozen,  half-starved 
child. 

>l  I  did  see  'em  in  the  barrel  as  sure  as  sure, 
Tommy!  I  heard  'em  a-rolling  in  it  when  Mr. 
Flannigan  put  it  out  the  door,  and  then  when  he 
went  back  inside  I  slipped  up  and  looked  in. 
And  there  they  was,  for  I  seen  'em  and  I  smelt  'em 

46 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

too.  And,  boys,  it  was  the  plum  deliciousest  smell 
ever  I  smole  in  all  my  life."  Jinks  smacked  his 
blue  lips  at  memory  of  the  described  fragrance. 
Each  boy's  eye  brightened.  Every  nose  wrig- 
gled. They  all  came  closer  to  Jinks. 

"  How  many  do  you  guess  there  is  in  the  bar- 
rel, Jinks?"  demanded  Sis.  "Do  you  think 
there'll  be  as  much  as  a  whole  half  for  each  one 
of  us?" 

Jinks  nodded  his  mop  of  red  hair  vigorously. 
His  generous  supply  of  freckles  drew  up  in  a  tight 
wad  over  his  nose  so  broad  was  the  delighted  grin 
he  bestowed  upon  the  eager-faced  throng  around 
him. 

"  Aw,  Sis,  you've  done  forgot  to-morrow's 
Christmas !  Who'd  care  for  just  half  a  apple  on 
Christmas  eve?"  he  cried.  "Sure,  now,  boys, 
there'll  be  nearer  to  two  whole  ones  for  each  of  us 
than  there'll  come  to  a  measly  half." 

Long  sighs  of  delight  greeted  this  announcement 
of  the  plenty  waiting  for  them. 

*  You  are  a  brick,  Jinks,  that's  what  you  are  if 
you  are  the  littlest  chap  in  our  gang.  I'll  say 
that  much  for  you  any  day,"  said  Toney  Little, 
who  in  direct  contradiction  to  his  name  was  the 

47 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

tallest  boy  in  the  crowd.  In  token  of  his  approval 
the  big  boy  gave  the  little  one  a  resounding  clap  on 
the  shoulder.  It  came  close  to  toppling  Jinks  over 
bodily,  for  he  was  both  weak  and  tired.  He  had 
had  no  food  all  day,  and  in  spite  of  the  careless 
swagger  with  which  he  wore  his  rags  a  terrible 
inner  ache  held  him  in  its  grasp. 

"  I  started  for  you,  boys,  just  as  soon  as  I  seen 
'em,"  he  said,  his  chest  swelling  at  the  openly  ex- 
pressed approval  of  the  older  boy. 

"He  did,"  nodded  Sis.  "He  yelled,  for  I 
heard  him,  but  he  met  John  Preston  and  had  to 
stop  to  blodgy  his  nose." 

"  He'd  been  running  a  three-legged  dog, —  this 
very  dog!"  Jinks  pulled  back  his  jacket  front 
and  disclosed  to  the  other  boys  the  brown  treasure 
snuggled  within. 

"  He's  a  plum  beauty."  Toney  was  looking 
at  him  critically.  "  I  most  know,  Jinks,  he's  a 
fine  dog  and  maybe  somebody's  done  lost  him 
and  you  can  get  a  lot  of  money  by  giving  him 
back." 

"  Just  you  say  that  again,  Toney  Little,  and 
I'll  blodgy  your  nose  for  you  same's  Jinks  did  John 
Preston's!"  flashed  Sis.  "  MeV  Jinks  we  tied 

48 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

that  dog  up,  and  we  got  that  dog  all  mended,  and 
we  ain't  going  to  sell  him  for  money  nor  nothing !  " 

Sis  doubled  up  her  fists  and  flourished  them 
close  under  Toney's  nose.  He  grinned  sheepishly 
and  backed  off.  "  You  are  such  a  scratchy  cat, 
Sis !  "  he  complained.  "  I  just  thought  maybe  the 
dog  was  a  real  fine  breed — " 

"  He  ain't  no  breed  at  all,  Toney  Little!  "  ex- 
ploded Jinks.  "  He  ain't  got  a  single  mite  of 
breed  in  him  anywhere !  I  should  think  you  could 
see  from  his  wag  that  he  ain't  nothing  but  just  pure 
puppy  dog  all  the  way  through !  " 

:<  Well,  you  tell  us  some  more  about  them  ap- 
ples," said  Toney,  wisely  proffering  a  safe  subject 
for  general  conversation. 

'  You  never  took  a  single  bite, —  not  one?  "  de- 
manded Tommy  Bates,  whose  mind  could  not 
grasp  such  self-denial.  Tommy's  contracted  men- 
tal and  spiritual  outlook  just  then  was  conditioned 
by  personal  experience.  He  had  managed  to  exist 
all  day  upon  the  scanty  nourishment  contained  in  a 
cold  potato. 

"  I  ain't  a  sneak,  Tommy  Bates !  "  retorted 
Jinks  with  fine  scorn.  All  the  filth  of  the  street 
had  failed  to  take  the  rare  sweetness  from  his  voice. 

49 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

The  weary  quaver  in  it  now  But  intensified  the 
purity  of  its  tone.  "  I  never  so  much  as  touched 
'em  with  my  fingers !  I  just  filled  my  inside  with 
the  smole  of  'em,  and  then  I  came  on  the  run  for 
you  boys.  We  better  go  on,  too,  for  Mr.  Flan- 
nigan's  so  awful  busy  to-day  in  the  store  that  we 
can  burglar  them  apples  as  easy  as  grease." 

"  We'll  get  right  along  down  there  as  fast  as 
we  can,"  said  Toney  briskly.  He  had  a  long,  thin 
face,  not  unlike  a  weasel's,  and  his  small,  light 
eyes  were  never  known  to  look  at  man  or  beast 
squarely.  "  Come  on,  boys,  and  when  we  pinch 
'em,  Jinks,  I'll  surely  see  that  you  get  the  biggest 
apple  in  the  pile." 

"  If  you  don't,  Toney  Little,  I'll  claw  your  jaw 
and  pinch  your  year  until  you'll  wish  you  had !  " 
threatened  Sis  with  a  dark  glance  at  the  tall,  slim 
boy  who  led  the  ragged  procession  as  it  left  the 
street  and  headed  towards  the  barrel  of  golden 
promise. 

Peter  Flannigan  owned  the  large  store  that 
stood  on  the  corner  leading  into  Paradise  Alley. 
The  front  of  the  store  was  on  East  Lynne  Street, 
a  wide  and  busy  thoroughfare,  but  the  rear  of  the 
big  building  ran  back  and  opened  right  into  Para- 

so 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

dise  Alley.  And  Paradise  Alley  was  the  toughest 
place  in  the  town, —  a  long,  narrow  way  reeking 
with  crime  and  filth  that  crept  through  the  heart  of 
the  city  as  might  an  above-ground  sewer.  The 
alley  was  lined  on  both  sides  with  tall,  lop-sided 
tenement  houses  that  leaned  tipsily  towards  each 
other  as  though  desirous  of  whispering  secrets  too 
dark  to  be  uttered  save  when  the  lips  of  the  teller 
touched  the  ear  of  the  told.  High  and  narrow 
they  arose,  dull,  foul  blots  against  the  blue  sky, 
their  broken  windows  stuffed  with  rags,  their  nar- 
row doorways  open  always  to  allow  the  coming 
in  and  the  going  out  of  men  and  women  whose 
faces  silently  proclaimed  them  as  wretched  and 
bankrupt  as  were  the  houses. 

Many  children  poured  out  of  these  houses  into 
Paradise  Alley;  boys  grown  old  and  crime-hard- 
ened in  the  brief  life-span  of  ten  years,  and  girls 
whose  eyes  held  no  look  of  either  youth  or  inno- 
cence, so  filled  were  they  with  hunger  and  pain  and 
the  soul-wrecking  wisdom  of  the  city  street. 

Peter  Flannigan  was  very  busy  that  afternoon. 
One  of  his  clerks  had  gone  home  ill  and  the  big 
Irishman  was  doing  his  best  to  be  in  two  places 
at  once.  As  a  result  Peter  was  not  only  decidedly 

Si 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

cross,  he  made  several  mistakes.  One  of  these 
was  when  he  rolled  the  big  apple  barrel  out  the 
rear  door. 

"  Sure  now,  and  I'll  just  get  this  pesky  thing 
right  out  of  me  way !  "  snapped  he  when  he  had 
bumped  his  pet  corn  against  the  side  of  the  barrel 
for  the  fifth  time.  "  It  goes  to  Misther  Clay- 
brook's  in  half  an  hour,  and  it  can  wait  with- 
out until  Jake  comes  with  the  wagon."  The  bar- 
rel was  partly  filled  with  fresh,  sawdust,  out  of 
which  the  round,  polished  cheeks  of  the  big  apples 
glowed  redly  as  though  they  had  been  filled  to  the 
bursting  point  with  Christmas  good  cheer. 

Peter  Flannigan  thrust  the  barrel  outside  the 
rear  door  with  an  oath  and  a  bang.  Customers 
were  pouring  into  the  store  demanding  immediate 
attention,  and  in  his  haste  and  preoccupation  he 
failed  to  note  the  ragged  bundle  leaning  by 
a  rear  window,  its  face  pressed  against  the  glass, 
its  blue  eyes  looking  longingly  at  the  brightness 
and  warmth  within.  Despite  the  cold  that  was 
wrenching  all  his  bones  separately  and  collectively, 
Jinks'  eyes  were  bright,  his  nose  keen,  his  wits 
alert.  Life  on  the  street,  with  rags  for  clothing 
and  the  sky  for  shelter,  had  at  least  given  the  boy 

52 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

sharp  vision  and  super-sensitive  perceptions  along 
certain  lines.  It  was  said  by  the  boys  of  Paradise 
Alley,  whose  rags  and  empty  stomachs  had  drawn 
them  together  into  a  brotherhood  of  misery,  that 
Jinks  could  see  a  warm  corner  a  block  away  and 
smell  a  piece  of  bread  a  mile. 

Sis  was  the  only  feminine  member  of  this  tat- 
tered fraternity.  She  held  her  place  neither  by 
the  laws  of  election  or  selection,  but  by  the  unaided 
power  of  her  own  fists  and  tongue.  Toney  she 
despised  openly  and  very  frequently  articulately 
as  well.  Bud  she  tolerated;  Tommy  she  liked; 
and  Jinks  she  was  sworn  good-comrade  to,  unless 
he  trampled  upon  her  rights.  On  such  occasions 
Sis  promptly  administered  the  necessary  outer  urge 
to  keep  him  in  proper  subjection  to  petticoat  rule. 
This  punishment  was  meted  out  to  him  in  a  spirit 
of  strict  justice,  according  to  Sis's  own  crude  ethical 
ideas,  and  Jinks  received  it  with  proper  meekness, 
usually  taking  both  the  chastisement  and  the  im- 
mediate binding  up  of  his  scratches  with  equal  sub- 
mission. 

The  brotherhood  crept  down  the  Alley  as  si- 
lently as  might  a  band  of  ragged  ghosts,  and  very 
soon  they  were  clustered  about  Peter  Flannigan's 

53 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

big  apple  barrel  like  so  many  dilapidated  fowls 
around  a  bucket  full  of  grain. 

Apples  were  rare  treats  to  the  boys  who  lived 
in  Paradise  Alley.  Sometimes  they  succeeded  in 
snatching  one  from  a  passing  cart,  but  these  were 
usually  knotty  and  sour, —  not  at  all  like  the  great 
beauties  shining  and  glowing  in  Peter  Flannigan's 
barrel. 

Besides  the  apples'  own  intrinsic  value,  their  de- 
sirableness was  increased  ten-fold  because  they  be- 
longed to  Peter  Flannigan,  between  whom  and  the 
Paradise  Alley  boys  a  warfare  of  long  standing 
and  ceaseless  hostilities  existed.  Peter's  temper 
was  peppery  and,  aside  from  their  constant  depre- 
dations upon  his  belongings,  nothing  afforded  the 
small  denizens  of  the  Alley  such  unholy  joy  as  to 
administer  the  very  slight  physical  shake-up  neces- 
sary to  start  the  mental  pepper  flying.  That  it 
frequently  landed  upon  their  own  heads  in  nowise 
diminished  their  impish  delight  in,  as  Jinks  ex- 
pressed it,  "  Punching  the  old  man  up  to  see  him 
sizz." 

Fishing  the  apples  out  of  their  nest  proved  to 
be  very  exciting  work.  All  the  ragged  crowd  were 
diving  eagerly  into  the  big  treasure  pot  when  Sis 

54 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

and  Toney  Little  made  a  grab  simultaneously  for 
the  largest  apple.  Both  grimy  hands  touched  it 
at  the  same  moment,  and  the  shrill  voice  of  each 
claimant  was  promptly  raised  in  a  vociferous  de- 
mand that  the  other  give  up  the  prize  at  once. 
The  voices  rose  loud  and  threatening  from  the 
interior  of  the  barrel,  when  other  sounds  brought 
the  ragged  caps  and  tousled  heads  to  the  surface 
in  hot  haste. 

"  A-h-h-h  I  Ye  miserable  little  spalpeens ! 
Sure  now,  and  I'll  teach  ye  to  be  after  robbing  an 
honest  man  of  his  very  own  belongings  right  un- 
der his  very  own  nose  1  Git  out  with  ye,  ye  dirty 
little  limbs  of  Satan !  " 

Peter  Flannigan's  round,  red  face  was  shining 
in  the  open  doorway,  and  in  another  instant  Peter 
Flannigan's  stout  arm  was  dealing  blows  right  and 
left,  the  stout  stick  he  carried  coming  down  with 
stinging  force  on  scantily  covered  backs  and  shoul- 
ders. He  whacked  vigorously,  and  cries  of  pain 
were  mingled  with  bitter  curses,  terrible  coming 
from  the  lips  of  children  the  oldest  of  whom  was 
barely  twelve. 

"  Git  ye  gone,  and  never  do  ye  come  back  to 
me  door  again!  Bedad,  and  'tis  a  pretty  town 

55 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

we  live  in  when  a  man's  very  own  property  is 
stolen  from  him  right  under  his  very  own  nose  on 
his  very  own  door-step !  "  Peter  choked  and 
stamped  with  rage.  And  from  the  other  end  of 
the  Alley  came  shouts  of  derisive  laughter  and 
shrill  cries  of  triumph.  For  despite  their  smarting 
heads  and  shoulders,  each  boy  had  managed  to  get 
away  with  his  stolen  fruit  snugly  stored  inside  his 
ragged  jacket. 

Peter  Flannigan  snorted  and  swore  when  he 
looked  into  the  barrel,  for  the  beautiful  apples  in- 
tended for  Mr.  Claybrook  were  gone  —  only  the 
sawdust  remained.  Then,  shouldering  his  stick 
and  still  muttering  wrath  fully,  he  entered  the  store 
and  closed  the  door  behind  him. 

Jinks  had  been  the  first  to  flee.  His  thin  legs 
were  nimble  and  he  was  soon  walking  along  East 
Lynne  Street,  staring  at  the  front  of  Peter  Flanni- 
gan's  big  store.  He  appeared  very  unconcerned 
and  wore  his  dilapidated  cap  with  a  jauntiness  that 
made  a  piteous  mock  of  the  rags  that  covered  his 
body. 

The  big  glass  windows  of  the  store  were  a  con- 
stant source  of  fascination  to  the  boy.  All  sorts 
of  things  beautiful  to  the  eye  and  tempting  to  the 

56 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

palate  were  displayed  there.  On  one  side  were 
warm  coats  and  stout  shoes,  with  stately  yellow- 
haired  doll  ladies  standing  stiffly  about.  In  the 
other  window  were  beautiful  boxes  heaped  high 
with  candies,  and  great  piles  of  luscious  fruits, 
whose  names,  even,  the  boy  staring  in  from  the 
street  did  not  know. 

All  about  both  huge  windows  were  swinging  red 
bells  and  holly  wreaths.  It  was  Christmas  eve  and 
even  such  inanimate  things  as  shops  are  supposed 
at  that  time  to  share  in  the  general  good  cheer,  and 
bloom  forth  gaily  in  mistletoe  and  tinsel. 

Jinks  watched  the  well-dressed,  prosperous 
throng  that  poured  into  the  big  store,  their  faces 
bright  and  eager.  Then  he  watched  them  come  out 
again,  their  arms  piled  high  with  bundles  of  all 
sorts, —  big  bundles  and  little  bundles,  fat  bun- 
dles and  lean  bundles.  But  all  of  them,  no  matter 
whether  large  or  small,  had  a  Christmassy  look  to 
the  boy  whom  Christmas  had  passed  by  ten  times. 
Jinks  had  never  had  a  bundle  in  all  his  life ;  and  as 
that  thought  suddenly  clutched  him,  the  cold 
seemed  to  bite  into  the  very  center  of  his  being. 

"  I'll  sure  freeze  out  here  as  stiff  as  a  brick ! 
I'd  better  be  going  on,  or  the  other  boys'll  get  all 

57 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

the  best  sleeping  places,"  he  muttered  to  himself 
as  the  street  lamps  began  to  blink  and  wink  through 
the  soft  gloom  of  the  early  twilight.  With  an- 
other glance  at  the  hurrying  passers-by,  another 
longing  look  in  at  the  big,  bright  windows,  the 
boy  turned  towards  Paradise  Alley. 

All  the  jauntiness  had  gone  from  his  bearing 
now;  his  ragged  cap  was  no  longer  perched  on  the 
back  of  his  brilliant  head,  but  pulled  low  over  his 
eyes.  He  did  not  walk  with  a  swagger.  In  fact, 
by  the  time  the  rear  of  Peter  Flannigan's  store  was 
reached,  Jinks  was  shrunken  together  and  moved 
like  an  old,  old  man. 

He  wandered  slowly  through  the  Alley,  but  it 
was  deserted,  not  even  Sis  being  visible.  The 
brotherhood  had  evidently  sought  shelter  early, 
their  retirement  hastened  by  the  cold  that  was 
growing  more  intense  with  the  deepening  of  the 
dusk. 

Drawn  by  the  queer  charm  that  Peter's  store 
had  always  had  for  him,  Jinks  at  last  crept  back  to 
the  big  apple  barrel  that  still  stood  beside  the  rear 
door.  It  afforded  some  shelter  from  the  wind, 
and  feeling  too  tired  to  take  another  step  he 
crawled  behind  it  and  crouched  down. 

58 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Inside  Jinks'  jacket  the  brown  dog  was  protest- 
ing pitifully  about  the  cold  and  hunger  that  he  was 
experiencing  for  the  first  time.  He  had  been  given 
"  bite  for  bite  "  of  the  one  apple  that  had  fallen  to 
Jinks'  share,  but  though  he  had  accepted  the  prof- 
fered morsels  from  politeness,  he  had  promptly 
spit  them  out  again  from  distaste. 

Jinks  huddled  his  treasure  close  in  his  arms  in 
a  vain  endeavor  to  still  the  pleading  whimper  that 
at  last  forced  out  the  sob  his  own  discomfort  had 
had  no  power  to  wring  from  his  lips.  Blindly  and 
impotently  the  boy  was  facing  the  life-old  tragedy 
of  the  bread  demand,  and  all  he  had  to  meet  it 
with  was  the  wisdom  that  ten  years  in  the  gutter 
had  given  him. 

"  I  ain't  got  nothing  I  can  give  you,  Dog!  "  he 
whispered  in  the  soft  brown  ear.  "  Not  nothing 
but  my  jacket,  cross-my-heart  I  ain't!  And  you 
can't  eat  that,  though  I  wishes  you  could,  honest 
I  do,  Dog!  Maybe  if  I  roll  you  up  in  it,  though, 
real  tight  you  won't  have  room  in  your  inside  for 
such  a  big,  hungry  ache !  "  The  dog's  pink  tongue 
spoke  silent  thanks  for  this  kind  offer,  and  Jinks 
promptly  pulled  the  tattered  garment  off.  The 
dog  was  quickly  wrapped  in  the  folds,  only  his  nose 

59 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

being  left  out.  "  You'll  keep  better  in  the  bar- 
rel," he  was  told.  "  And  maybe,  Dog, —  maybe, 
if  Santa  Claus  was  to  come, —  and  he  was  to  look 
in  the  barrel, —  and  was  to  see  you,  he  might  give 
you  a  bone !  " 

Rising  unsteadily  to  his  feet  Jinks  reached  over 
and  laid  the  bundled-up  dog  in  the  barrel.  Then 
he  crouched  again  in  the  corner  next  to  the  store. 
He  was  too  tired  to  sleep,  and  terrible  as  was  the 
outer  ache  from  the  cold,  the  inner  ache  from  hun- 
ger was  far  worse.  He  thought  it  was  just  want 
of  food  as  he  lay  huddled  in  the  shadow  by  Peter 
Flannigan's  rear  door.  But  Jinks  was  a  child,  a 
very  little  child,  and  possibly  the  keenest  sting  of 
pain  he  endured  came  from  the  fact  that  Christ- 
mas cheer  seemed  to  be  in  the  very  air  for  every- 
body —  except  for  him. 


60 


CHAPTER  FOUR 

The  last  customer  had  left  the  store,  and  with 
a  sigh  of  deep  satisfaction  Peter  Flannigan  turned 
the  key  in  the  lock.  His  sales  that  day  had  been 
large, —  the  cash  box  was  full,  his  own  capacious 
pockets  bulging.  And  as  the  clock  struck  twelve 
and  the  downtown  chimes  began  to  peal  "  Peace 
on  Earth,"  he  smiled  broadly  to  himself.  Christ- 
mas was  indeed  a  time  of  good  cheer  to  him.  He 
walked  slowly  through  the  dimly-lighted  building, 
glancing  at  the  various  piles  of  merchandise  with 
feelings  of  genuine  affection.  They  were  all  his, 
—  he  had  won  them  by  years  of  hard  toil,  for  from 
the  position  of  porter  he  had  at  last  become  the 
head  of  a  large  and  growing  business.  He  was  a 
general  merchant,  and  by  honest  dealing  he  had 
achieved  success. 

As  he  walked  through  his  store  that  night,  Peter 
Flannigan  thought  of  the  years  of  toil  that  he 
knew  lay  behind  him  and  of  the  years  of  increasing 
prosperity  that  he  felt  lay  before  him.  He  moved 

61 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

slowly,  and  as  he  neared  the  rear  door  he  paused, 
his  big  gray  head  fallen  forward  upon  his  broad 
breast,  his  great  hands  thrust  through  the  belt  of 
his  apron.  He  had  suddenly  become  acutely  con- 
scious that  he  was  alone  —  not  only  in  the  store, 
but  in  the  world.  He  was  used  to  loneliness,  so 
used  to  it  that  it  had  become  too  integral  a  part 
of  his  nature  for  him  to  be  often  actively  conscious 
of  it.  But  this  was  something  new,  something  that 
extended  far  beyond  mere  loneliness  into  a  soul- 
gripping  aloneness  that  made  the  real  self  lying 
deep  within  the  big  man  writhe  with  a  more  than 
physical  pain.  Peter  suddenly  felt  both  tired  and 
old  as  the  realization  swept  over  him  that  the  piles 
of  things  about  him  represented  his  all.  Christ- 
mas simply  meant  a  time  of  good  sales  to  him, — 
there  were  no  little  stockings  to  hang  about  his 
fire, —  neither  wife  nor  child  shared  his  pros- 
perity. 

"  Peace  on  Earth "  was  pealing  from  every 
church  tower  in  the  city  as  Peter  Flannigan 
opened  the  rear  door  and  stood  on  the  steps.  He 
always  made  the  nightly  rounds  himself.  He  had 
never  given  that  duty  to  another,  and  with  it  he 
had  clung  hard  and  fast  to  the  white  apron  he  had 

62 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

donned  with  such  pride  thirty  years  before.  It 
had  marked  his  advancement  from  porter  to  clerk 
in  the  grocery  department  of  the  big  store.  Pros- 
perity had  had  no  power  to  change  Peter  Flanni- 
gan. 

The  big  Irishman  glanced  about  him  with  keen, 
bright  eyes.  From  other  parts  of  the  city  came  the 
popping  of  fire-crackers,  but  Paradise  Alley  was 
unusually  quiet.  Peter  looked  up  at  the  stars  and 
sighed.  Then  he  looked  down  at  the  ground  and 
jumped.  Close  against  the  big  apple  barrel  by 
the  step  a  little  dark  heap  was  huddled. 

"  And  what  might  ye  be  now?  "  he  demanded. 
No  answer  came.  "  Sure  now,  ye  can  speak,  can't 
ye  ?  Are  ye  a  beast  or  is  it  a  human  that  ye  are  ?  " 
He  touched  the  bundle  with  his  foot. 

It  stirred.  "You  let  me  alone!"  came  from 
the  heap  of  rags  now  showing  clearly  against  the 
snow  in  the  moonlight. 

Peter  started.  The  words  were  defiant,  but  the 
voice  held  as  clear  and  sweet  a  note  as  did  the  bells 
ringing  out  their  joyous  message  to  the  sleeping 
world.  Peter  recognized  it  as  the  one  that  had 
been  loudest  and  most  prolific  of  threats  to  him 
that  afternoon.  Its  unusual  purity  and  sweetness 

63 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

had  caught  his  attention  on  many  occasions  when 
Jinks  had  cursed  him. 

"  Sure  now,  and  I'll  not  let  ye  alone.  I'll  not 
leave  any  living  creature  on  the  ground  such  a  night 
as  this!  "  Peter  spoke  harshly.  At  the  same  mo- 
ment he  laid  a  brawny  hand  upon  Jinks'  shoulder. 
"  Ye  are  as  cold  as  a  bit  of  ice,  and  shivering  fit 
to  loosen  every  joint  in  the  body  of  ye  1  Git  up  !  " 
His  voice  was  still  harsh,  and  the  hands  that  pulled 
Jinks  to  his  feet  were  far  from  gentle. 

The  boy  came  up  fighting  wildly  against  the 
powerful  grasp  that  was  drawing  him  towards  the 
stream  of  light  pouring  from  the  open  door. 

"  Let  me  go,  I  tell  you  I  "  he  shrieked,  wrig- 
gling like  an  eel.  "  I  ain't  going  in  there  with 
you!  You'll  beat  me  and  I'd  rather  freeze'n  be 
beat  any  more.  Let  go,  I  tell  you !  " 

"  Shut  up  snarling,  ye  little  varmint !  Sure  ye 
claw  worse  than  a  cat  in  a  bag."  Peter  grasped 
Jinks  by  the  other  shoulder  as  he  spoke.  Then, 
exasperated  by  the  boy's  continued  resistance,  he 
held  him  out  and  shook  him  very  much  after  the 
manner  in  which  a  big  dog  would  shake  a  rat. 
'  Take  that,  ye  little  spit-fire !  "  he  snorted,  his 
peppery  temper  all  ablaze. 

64 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

."  You  let  go !  "  Jinks  shrieked.  Mingling  with 
his  voice  there  came  the  sound  of  tearing  cloth. 
The  ragged  shirt  covering  his  shoulders  had  parted 
in  Peter's  hands,  and  jerking  away  the  boy  sped 
like  the  wind  into  the  black  shadows  of  Paradise 
Alley,  leaving  the  big  storekeeper  staring  blankly 
after  him,  a  bunch  of  tattered  cloth  in  either  hand. 

"Darn  the  little  varmint!"  exploded  Peter, 
tossing  the  rags  aside  and  turning  to  reenter  the 
store.  As  he  closed  the  door  a  wail  issued  from 
the  depths  of  the  big  apple  barrel.  Loud  and 
shrill  it  arose,  the  protesting  voice  of  a  dog  lifted 
in  dismal  lamentation.  Peter  started  and,  softly 
opening  the  door  a  little  way,  applied  one  keen, 
gray  eye  to  the  crack. 

The  wail  had  fallen  upon  other  ears  than  Peter 
Flannigan's.  Out  of  the  deep  gloom  on  the  other 
side  of  Paradise  Alley  came  speeding  a  little  ragged 
figure,  its  wobbly  legs  going  right  bravely  in  an- 
swer to  the  call  of  the  only  thing  it  had  ever 
owned. 

"  I'm  a-coming  after  you,  Dog!  Here  I  am." 
Jinks  panted,  diving  head-foremost  into  the  apple 
barrel  without  the  slightest  regard  for  the  safety 
of  his  neck. 

63 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  Ah-ha !  "  muttered  the  big  storekeeper,  remov- 
ing his  eye  from  the  crack  and  throwing  the  door 
wide  open.  "  Stealing  of  me  very  own  saw-dust 
are  ye,  and  right  under  me  very  own  nose,  from 
beside  me  very  own  door-step !  I'll  just  attend  to 
ye  this  time,  me  boy  !  "  With  a  growl  and  a  snort 
Peter  seized  the  doubled-up  figure  by  the  first  thing 
his  fingers  touched.  It  happened  to  be  the  belt  of 
Jinks'  trousers,  and  in  consequence  the  boy  was 
lifted  from  his  folded-over  position  on  the  barrel 
and  held  up  in  the  air  still  bent  in  the  center  of 
his  little  anatomy. 

'  You  better  let  go  of  me !  "  Jinks  panted.  His 
arms  clasped  the  dog  close  and  were  therefore  in- 
effectual for  physical  manifestations,  but  his  legs 
were  eloquent,  as  was  his  tongue.  "  You  let  go 
of  me !  "  he  cried,  wriggling  helplessly  in  Peter's 
powerful  grasp.  "  And  I  just  double  dare  you  — 
to  —  touch  —  my  —  Dog!"  The  last  words 
came  in  gasps,  and  Jinks  suddenly  ceased  resisting. 
A  strangled  sound  broke  from  his  lips  and  his 
thin  body  shivered  with  a  torrent  of  sobs, —  dry, 
choking,  terrible  in  a  child. 

'  You  can  beat  me,  Mister,  if  you  want  to,"  he 
whispered  at  last,  hanging  a  limp,  inert  weight  in 

66 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Peter's  hands.  "  I  ain't  caring  no  more  what  you 
do, —  I  be  that  wore  out." 

"  Sure  now,  and  'tis  freezing  we'll  both  be  out 
here."  Peter's  voice  had  lost  all  its  harshness. 
"  I've  no  notion  of  hurting  ye.  Come  into  the 
store  where  the  fire  can  thaw  ye  a  bit."  The 
last  words  astonished  Peter  Flannigan  even 
more  than  they  did  Jinks.  They  came  of  their 
own  volition, —  it  might  be  in  answer  to  the 
bells. 

Jinks'  sobs  had  ceased  as  suddenly  as  they  had 
begun.  He  was  perfectly  passive,  and,  very  much 
as  though  he  was  handling  a  bolt  of  cloth,  did 
Peter  Flannigan  lift  him  across  the  threshold  and 
stand  him  inside  the  store. 

Peter  turned  from  Jinks  without  even  giv- 
ing him  a  glance.  He  locked  and  barred  the 
heavy  door  before  he  took  time  for  a  good  look 
at  his  guest.  Peter  never  forgot  business  and  al- 
ready he  feared  some  of  his  fine  fruit  had  been 
chilled  by  the  stream  of  cold  air  pouring  through 
the  open  door. 

When  the  man  turned  around  the  boy  was  just 
where  he  had  placed  him.  He  had  not  moved,  but 
stood  close  beside  the  counter,  the  dog  clasped  in 

67 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

his  arms,  starvation,  misery,  degradation  written 
large  all  over  him.  The  two  stared  hard  at  each 
other;  the  man  of  fifty  looking  down  with  eyes 
keen,  clear,  alert,  young;  the  boy  of  ten  gazing 
back  through  old,  old  eyes,  his  face  worn  and  hag- 
gard, his  thin  shoulders  bent  wearily  beneath  the 
weight  of  his  ten  short  years. 

"  My  God!  "  muttered  Peter  under  his  breath 
as  something  inside  of  him  crumpled  up  with  a 
keen  pang.  "  My  God!  And  in  a  Christian  land 
we  call  this  a  child  I  "  Aloud  he  asked,  "  And  yer 
name  now,  what  might  it  be  ?  " 

"  Just  Jinks,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  uster  live  with 
old  Uncle  Josh  sometimes  before  he  was  took  to 
jail,  and  some  folks  call  me  Josh's  Jinks." 

"  And  your  people?  " 

"  I  ain't  got  none,"  said  Jinks  with  a  shake  of 
his  red  head,  "  unless  you  want  to  put  in  Sis  and 
the  boys." 

"And  who  might  they  be?" 

'*  Toney  and  Tommy  and  Sis, —  she's  the  best 
fellow  of  'em  all.  They  live  out  there."  The 
delicious  warmth  of  the  store  and  the  kindness  in 
Peter  Flannigan's  voice  and  eyes  had  brought  back 
some  of  Jinks'  old  audacity.  There  was  quite  a 

68 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

tinge  of  jauntiness  in  the  wave  of  his  hand  to- 
wards the  alley. 

Peter  frowned.  He  had  suffered  many  things 
many  times  from  the  boys  of  Paradise  Alley. 
They  were  a  hard  and  audacious  crowd,  and  he 
had  often  vowed  he  would  have  them  arrested  and 
sent  to  jail.  He  stood  for  a  second  staring  hard 
at  the  floor,  a  heavy  frown  on  his  brow.  Then 
he  gave  another  glance  at  Jinks.  As  he  looked 
Peter  jumped.  From  the  upper  end  of  the  bundle 
in  the  boy's  arms  a  sharp  nose  was  thrust.  A  fold 
of  the  ragged  jacket  was  draped  rakishly  across 
one  side  of  the  dog's  head,  eclipsing  the  right  eye 
entirely.  The  other  spoke  eloquently,  though,  as 
did  the  friendly  waving  of  a  silky  brown  paw,  and 
the  broad  grin  he  bestowed  on  the  big  store- 
keeper. 

"  Why,  bless  me  stars !  "  gasped  Peter.  "  I'll 
be  blamed  if  the  little  chap  ain't  —  if  he  ain't  of- 
fering to  shake  hands !  "  And  sure  enough,  a  paw 
was  thrust  out  graciously  to  the  big  man,  while  the 
increasing  beaminess  of  the  one  eye  and  the  broad- 
ness of  the  smile  showed  that  again  that  day  had 
the  brown  dog  found  a  friend  and  taken  him  to 
his  heart. 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Peter  turned  a  quick  glance  on  Jinks,  wondering 
at  his  silence.  The  boy  had  felt  that  he  was  un- 
watched  and  while  Peter  and  the  dog  exchanged 
greetings,  he  leaned  against  the  counter  to  keep 
from  falling.  The  momentary  brightness  had 
died  from  his  face,  leaving  utter  hopelessness  be- 
hind. 

Peter's  eyes  were  keen  and  bright.  They  were 
also  very  wise.  He  saw  and  understood  the  ex- 
haustion in  the  whole  relaxed  body,  the  famine  in 
the  large  eyes. 

"Are  ye  hungry?"  he  demanded  so  suddenly 
that  Jinks  jumped  nervously. 

"  Hungry?  "  The  thin  shrillness  of  starvation 
drove  the  haunting  music  from  the  boyish  tones. 
"  Mister,  I  ain't  never  been  nothing  else  but  hun- 
gry in  my  life." 

Again  did  something  crumple  up  inside  of  Peter 
Flannigan  with  a  queer  biting  pang.  In  another 
instant  he  had  seized  Jinks  in  his  brawny  hands 
and  deposited  him  and  the  dog  in  the  big  rocker 
beside  the  roaring  stove. 

"  Just  sit  ye  here,  now,  and  thaw  the  outside  of 
ye,"  said  Peter.  "  And  while  ye  bake  yer  toes 
and  roast  yer  shins,  sure  I'll  fetch  something  to 

70 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

fill  the  inside  of  ye  until  'tis  like  to  bursting  ye'll 
be!" 

Peter  shook  the  damper  of  the  stove  as  he  spoke, 
and  it  replied  by  a  jovial  roar  and  such  a  merry 
popping  and  crackling  that  it  seemed  to  be  having 
a  private  Christmas  celebration  of  its  own. 

Jinks'  face  glowed  in  the  red  light  that  came 
from  the  stove's  open  door,  then  suddenly  it  grew 
white  and  drawn.  "  I  say,  Mister,"  he  said,  reach- 
ing out  to  lay  fast  hold  of  Peter's  coat  tail  as  that 
big  man  moved  away.  "  You  ain't  fooling,  are 
you?  You  wouldn't  give  me  such  dirt  as  that? 
I  ain't  had  a  bite  of  nothing  but  half  a  apple  since 
yesterday." 

:' Will  ye  shut  up,  ye  little  varmint?"  roared 
Peter,  backing  away  from  the  grimy  hand,  bat  a 
great  deal  more  from  the  drawn  face.  "  Do  you 
take  me  for  a  real  brute  beast  now?  Just  ye  sit 
stiddy  with  the  dog  and  I'll  soon  show  ye  whether 
I'll  be  after  fooling  ye  or  not !  " 

Jinks  sank  back  in  the  chair  with  a  gasp  of  re- 
lief, and  Peter  Flannigan  went  away  to  burrow 
into  bin  after  bin  and  box  after  box. 

The  entire  building  was  comfortably  heated  by 
steam,  but  Peter  Flannigan  liked  stoves, —  their 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

cheery,  red  eyes  appealed  to  some  home-loving 
part  of  him  that  was  entirely  subjective, —  and 
hence  it  was  that  in  the  open  space  by  the  rear 
window  stood  a  stove  that  was  a  very  giant  of  its 
kind.  Peter  also  liked  rocking-chairs  that  were 
wide  enough  to  accommodate  his  own  broad  girth 
without  any  undue  tightness.  And  close  by  the 
big  stove  stood  a  huge  chair  with  generously 
spreading  arms,  and  cushions  that  literally  exuded 
mental  rest  with  bodily  comfort  from  every  gay 
flower  petal  that  ornamented  their  apoplectic 
sides. 

Jinks  had  never  seen  anything  in  all  his  life  that 
seemed  so  wonderful  to  him  as  the  big  stove  in 
Peter's  store.  He  had  often  stood  for  hours  out- 
side the  open  window  at  night,  his  toes  half  frozen 
and  his  body  blue  with  cold,  while  he  stared  in  at 
what  seemed  to  him  a  veritable  paradise. 

That  he  could  ever  enter  that  marvelous  store 
had  never  crossed  even  the  outer  edge  of  his  im- 
agination. And  yet,  wonder  of  wonders,  here  he 
was, —  not  only  in  the  store  but  curled  up  in  a  big 
cushioned  chair  directly  in  front  of  the  magic 
stove  which  radiated  heat  from  all  parts  of  it  at 
once !  It  seemed  to  Jinks  in  a  dim  sort  of  fashion 

72 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

that  he  must  be  living  for  a  brief  space  in  come 
of  the  stories  that  Sis  told.  He  did  not  try  to 
think  it  out.  Thinking  had  never  been  much  in 
his  line  anyway,  his  life  thus  far  along  its  brief 
course  having  been  taken  up  in  feeling. 

He  spread  out  his  thin  hands  to  the  heat. 
Then,  as  the  warmth  began  to  make  his  fingers 
tingle,  he  stretched  forth  a  foot.  He  moved  tim- 
idly at  first,  casting  furtive  glances  about  him  as 
might  a  trapped  animal.  At  last,  though,  both 
arms  and  legs  went  out  in  a  delighted  abandon 
that  caused  Peter  Flannigan  to  bump  his  own  head 
cruelly  against  the  edge  of  a  box.  He  was  watch- 
ing the  boy,  and  it  was  when  he  tried  to  poke  his 
head  inside  a  box  to  shut  out  the  ragged  figure  in 
the  chair  that  he  raised  a  big  lump  upon  his 
forehead. 

The  heat  soaked  all  through  both  boy  and  dog 
so  deliciously  that,  despite  the  terrible  gnawing 
of  the  hunger-pain  in  their  empty  stomachs,  both 
the  blue  eyes  and  the  brown  ones  soon  grew  heavy. 
Then,  just  as  the  red  and  the  brown  heads  began 
to  bob  to  and  fro  in  unison,  a  fat,  blue  pot  on  the 
back  of  the  stove  started  up  a  bubbly,  little  song. 
At  the  same  time  it  sent  forth  a  smell  so  delicious 

73 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

that  boy  and  dog  sat  up  together,  their  noses 
wriggling  a  prompt  appreciation  of  the  coming 
feast.  At  that  moment  Peter  Flannigan  threw 
wide  the  stove  door.  Then  he  held  a  long  fork 
over  the  red  coals,  and  on  the  end  of  it  was  im- 
paled a  slice  of  pink  ham  with  a  delicate,  white  bias 
fold  running  all  around  one  side  of  it.  The  sizzle 
of  the  ham  and  its  delicious  odor,  mingled  with 
the  fragrance  and  the  gurgle  that  came  from  the 
blue  pot,  formed  a  combination  that  made  the  two 
in  the  big  chair  simply  beam  and  squirm  with  de- 
lighted anticipation. 

With  eyes  bright  and  amused,  Peter  Flannigan 
leaned  his  broad  back  against  a  pile  of  boxes  and 
watched  his  small  guests.  Two  generous  plates 
of  ham  and  toast  had  disappeared  in  rapid  suc- 
cession, and  along  with  them  had  gone  two  cups 
of  steaming  chocolate. 

Peter  chuckled  happily  to  himself.  He  had  en- 
joyed preparing  the  simple  food.  He  often 
cooked  a  meal  on  the  stove  when  the  store  had 
been  open  late  at  night  and  he  did  not  care  to  go 
out  to  the  near-by  restaurant  where  he  boarded. 
To-night,  though,  the  pleasure  he  usually  took  in 
preparing  these  impromptu  meals  was  entirely  for- 

74 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

gotten,  so  great  was  his  delight  in  watching  the 
famished  pair  in  the  armchair  feast  together. 

The  bells  had  ceased  ringing,  but  the  echo  of 
the  message  they  had  borne  lingered  in  the  big 
storekeeper's  heart  as  he  stood  looking  at  the  boy 
and  dog.  Again  he  chuckled  happily,  though  si- 
lently. There  was  a  warm  glow  all  through  him, 
that  was  both  new  and  delightful.  Peter  liked  it, 
even  if  he  did  not  quite  understand  it.  He  felt  in 
a  vague  sort  of  way  that  he  was  keeping  Christmas 
to-night  for  the  first  time  in  his  life. 

The  brown  dog  slipped  down  from  Jinks'  knee 
and,  with  his  nose  on  his  paws,  went  to  sleep,  too 
full  to  make  even  the  slight  exertion  necessary  to 
keep  his  eyes  from  closing. 

Jinks  sighed  as  well  as  he  could.  He,  too,  was 
full,  and  the  breath  of  happiness  he  drew  was  of 
necessity  short.  Very  slowly  he  drained  his  sec- 
ond cup  of  chocolate.  Then  he  peered  into  the 
bottom  of  the  cup  with  intent,  eager  eyes.  Never 
before  had  he  tasted  anything  so  delicious,  and  he 
was  suddenly  seized  with  a  great  curiosity  as  to 
what  it  was,  how  it  was  made,  and  how  it  looked. 

As  he  bent  absorbedly  over  the  cup,  the  firelight 
fell  full  upon  him.  His  hair  glowed  redly,  and 

75 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Peter  was  sure  a  faint  pink  showed  in  his  thin 
cheeks. 

With  great  care  Jinks  collected  the  last  crumbs 
of  toast,  the  tiniest  remaining  atoms  of  ham,  and 
deposited  them  in  his  mouth.  His  fingers  moved 
slowly,  for  his  thoughts  were  evidently  far  away. 

Peter  Flannigan  chuckled  to  himself  as  he 
watched  the  boy's  absorbed  face.  The  famished 
look  had  gone  from  his  large  eyes,  a  slight  curve, 
almost  a  smile,  tucked  up  the  corners  of  his  mouth, 
taking  many  years  from  his  face.  Peter  wondered 
of  what  he  was  thinking  so  deeply. 

As  though  in  answer  to  the  thought  in  Peter's 
mind,  Jinks  leaned  over  the  arm  of  the  chair  and 
placed  the  empty  plate  on  the  floor.  Then  he 
raised  a  pair  of  eyes  as  blue  as  cornflowers  to  the 
big  Irishman's.  "  Mister,"  he  asked,  a  strange, 
suppressed  eagerness  in  both  face  and  voice, 
"  have  you  ever  been  took  to  jail?  " 

"Hey?"  gasped  Peter.  "Hey?  To  jail  is 
it?"  He  came  upright  from  the  pile  of  boxes, 
his  big  front  swelling  visibly,  his  broad,  red  face 
growing  purple.  "  Who  —  me?  " 

"Sure!  Have  you  ever  been  took  to  jail?': 
nodded  Jinks.  "  Have  you  ever  been  pinched,  you 

76 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

know, —  caught  and  shut  up  in  the  jail  down  by 
the  river?"  His  blue  eyes  were  wide,  his  thin, 
worn  face  strained  and  eager. 

"  Faith  now,  but  ye  do  be  the  impudentest 
little  cuss  that  ever  I  came  across  in  all  of  me 
life !  "  roared  Peter  explosively.  "  In  jail?  Me? 
Indeed,  and  never  a  time  have  I  seen  the  inside  of 
such  a  place,  I'll  have  ye  know  1  " 

With  a  sigh  Jinks  sank  back  into  the  generous 
arms  of  the  big  chair.  He  clasped  his  grimy 
hands  across  a  stomach  that  was  comfortably  full 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life.  "  I  didn't  know,"  he 
said  in  tones  of  the  deepest  disappointment.  "  I 
just  thought  maybe  you  had  been  there." 

Silence  reigned  in  the  back  of  the  store  for  sev- 
eral minutes.  Then  stamping  hard  and  breathing 
loud,  Peter  picked  up  the  empty  plate  and  cup. 
He  placed  them  on  a  box  with  a  good  deal  of  un- 
necessary noise. 

"  Jail !  Me!  Indeed,  now !  "  he  snorted  to  him- 
self. He  was  decidedly  ruffled  and  glared  belliger- 
ently at  Jinks'  unconscious  back.  Like  a  great  many 
people,  though,  much  of  Peter's  wrath  went  out  in 
the  stamping  of  his  feet  and  the  blowing  of  his 
breath  hard  through  his  big  nose.  His  anger  be- 

77 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

gan  to  subside  and  in  its  place  there  came  an  over- 
powering curiosity. 

He  went  over  to  the  stove  again  by  and  by. 
Jinks  was  dozing  in  the  big  chair,  unconscious  of 
having  given  offence.  The  dog  snored  happily 
at  his  feet.  The  boy  started  up  nervously  when 
Peter  paused  by  his  side.  "  Is  it  time  for  us  to  be 
going,  Mister?"  he  asked,  reaching  for  his  tat- 
tered cap.  At  the  same  time  he  drew  the  rem- 
nants of  his  shirt  across  his  breast.  The  dog  was 
sleeping  on  the  ragged  jacket  that  had  dropped 
with  him  to  the  floor. 

Peter  Flannigan  did  not  reply  to  Jinks'  question 
at  once.  He  stood  by  the  big  stove  staring  down 
at  the  floor.  He  was  looking  at  Jinks'  toes.  He 
had  not  noticed  them  before,  but  now  he  could  see 
nothing  else  and  it  was  a  generous  display,  for 
each  one  of  the  ten  that  nature  had  given  the  boy 
was  boldly  showing  itself  through  the  gaping  rents 
in  his  shoes.  Peter  Flannigan  shivered.  Big  and 
brawny  and  well  clothed  though  he  was,  those  ten, 
small  red  toes  peering  up  at  him  sent  a  chill  all 
the  way  through  him. 

"  And  what  made  ye  be  after  asking  me  about 
the  jail,  eh?"  he  demanded,  giving  the  damper 

78 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

such  a  vigorous  shake  that  the  stove  roared  an  im- 
mediate response.  Peter  had  never  felt  so  cold 
in  his  life  as  when  he  looked  at  Jinks'  toes. 

Jinks  dropped  his  cap  and  glanced  frankly  up 
at  the  big  man  before  him.  A  beaming  grin 
spread  all  over  his  small  face.  As  he  looked  down 
Peter  started.  It  came  to  him  with  a  severe  men- 
tal jolt  that  it  was  a  child,  and  a  very  small  child, 
indeed,  sitting  in  his  big  chair. 

"  I  asked  you  about  the  jail  because  it's  the  plum 
beautifullest  place  that  ever  was!  "  There  was  a 
tremor  of  suppressed  eagerness  In  Jinks'  voice  as 
he  spoke.  "  I've  done  heard  a  lot  about  it,  and  I 
thought  you  must  a-learnt  how  to  make  the  stuff 
in  the  cup  there." 

"But  why  the  jail?"  insisted  Peter.  "What 
made  ye  think  now  that  it  was  there  I  had  to  go  to 
learn  to  make  a  cup  of  chocolate  ?  " 

"  Because  it's  the  jail  that's  the  wonderful  place, 
Mister !  "  Jinks'  eyes  were  brighter  than  Peter 
had  yet  seen  them.  "  They  has  beds  to  sleep  on 
there  and  when  folkses  can  get  in  they  has  coffee 
to  drink  every  day!  It's  hot,  too,  the  stuff  they 
has.  Me'n'  Sis  ain't  ever  been  yet,  but  Toney  has. 
Onct  I  most  got  in,  but  the  man  said  I  was  too 

79 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

little.  MeV  Sis  mean  to  make  it  yet,  though! 
Just  think  now,  beds  to  sleep  on  and  hot  things 
to  eat  every  day!  " 

Peter  Flannigan  did  think.  He  thought  so  hard 
he  could  not  reply,  but  stood  staring,  first  at 
Jinks'  toes,  then  at  Jinks'  face,  and  then  at  the 
rags  that  failed  entirely  to  cover  the  rest  of  the 
boy. 

"  To  think  of  it  in  a  Christian  land !  "  Peter  said 
to  himself.  "Oh,  the  shame  of  it  I  The  shame 
of  it  I  A  child  at  ten  striving  to  break  into  jail 
for  a  bed  and  for  food !  " 

"  Is  it  time  for  me'n'  the  dog  to  be  going,  Mis- 
ter?" Jinks  asked  again. 

Peter's  thought  grew  through  speech  into  an 
act.  "Go,  is  it?"  he  roared.  "Sure,  and  it  is 
not  time  for  ye  to  go  at  all,  at  all!  There's  a 
place  in  an  honest  man's  store  for  ye  to  sleep  on, 
and  a  bit  of  food  in  an  honest  man's  pantry  for  ye 
to  eat,  without  the  cold  and  the  hunger  making 
ye  try  to  get  into  a  prison  for  shelter !  " 


80 


CHAPTER  FIVE 

The  big  stove  was  crooning  a  low  song  to  itself. 
The  light  from  its  half-open  door  glowed  and 
blinked  in  the  semi-darkness  like  a  huge,  red  eye. 
Jinks  lay  watching  it.  He  was  resting  on  a  pile 
of  fresh,  sweet-smelling  straw  in  the  big  kindling 
box  in  the  corner.  A  soft,  gray  blanket  was 
thrown  over  the  straw,  and  another  just  like  it  was 
tucked  snugly  about  the  boy. 

Down  the  stairs  that  ran  to  the  upper  floor  from 
the  right  of  the  stove  there  floated  the  sound  to 
which  Jinks  was  listening.  "  Puffety  —  puffety  — 
puf-f-f-f !  "  it  went  with  the  regular  beat  of  an  en- 
gine. There  was  nothing  small  about  Peter  Flan- 
nigan, —  he  was  built  on  large  lines  both  inwardly 
and  outwardly,  and  his  snore  trumpeted  aloud  the 
fact  that  there  was  room  and  some  to  spare  even  in 
the  nose  through  which  the  nasal  music  boomed. 

On  a  huge  bed  in  the  room  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs  lay  Peter  sleeping  blissfully  and  soundly. 
And  just  below  him,  on  a  pile  of  straw  at  the  foot 

81 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

of  the  stairs,  lay  a  small  boy  who  had  never  had  a 
soft  couch  to  rest  on  before  in  all  his  life.  But 
instead  of  being  sound  asleep  he  lay  with  wide, 
bright  eyes,  staring  at  the  stove.  He  wriggled 
every  now  and  then  as  though  he  rested  upon  a 
couch  of  thorns  instead  of  a  bed  of  fresh,  sweet 
straw,  covered  with  a  blanket  so  soft  the  very 
touch  of  it  sent  a  thrill  of  delight  pulsing  through 
him. 

"  'Tis  right  here  in  me  store  that  I'll  be  leaving 
yc  for  the  night,"  Peter  had  said  as  he  threw  the 
bundle  of  straw  in  the  kindling  box,  and  tossed 
the  gray  blanket  over  it. 

Jinks  stared,  his  eyes  wide  and  incredulous.  To 
be  left  all  night  alone  in  that  big  store,  with  the 
magic  stove  radiating  heat  until  it  felt  like  sure- 
enough  summer  time !  A  strange  feeling  went 
through  the  child.  It  was  something  entirely  new, 
a  sensation  he  had  never  experienced  before. 

He  lifted  his  eyes.  They  were  very  clear  and 
very  blue.  He  and  Peter  Flannigan  looked  at 
each  other  steadily  for  a  full  minute.  "  I  won't 
steal  a  thing,  Mister!  Cross-my-heart  I  won't!  " 
Jinks  spoke  huskily,  the  words  seeming  to  leap 
from  his  lips  without  any  volition  of  his  own. 

82 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  Sure  now,  and  I  know  ye'll  not,"  said  Peter. 
"  I  trust  ye."  Jinks  did  not  reply,  nor  did  Peter 
say  more.  By  long  years  of  dealing  with  his  fel- 
lows, the  untaught  man  had  mastered  one  of  life's 
biggest  lessons.  He  knew  that  the  surest  way  to 
make  a  human  soul  worthy  of  trust  is  —  to  trust  it. 

Peter  Flannigan  went  up-stairs  to  bed,  and 
promptly  fell  asleep.  Down-stairs  Jinks  went  to 
bed,  and  promptly  became  wide  awake.  The 
boy's  body  was  at  ease;  he  was  thoroughly  warm, 
his  stomach  was  well  filled  with  good  food.  The 
outer,  or  physical,  part  of  him  was  so  com- 
fortable that  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  he 
forgot  his  body  entirely.  And  so  it  was  that  for 
the  first  time  he  began  to  hear,  and  recognize,  the 
call  of  the  inside  —  the  real,  true  self  —  that  the 
freezing,  starving,  aching  outside  of  him  had  never 
given  a  chance  to  speak  before. 

"  This  bed  don't  lay  right !  "  muttered  Jinks. 
He  went  over  and  over  as  though  his  skinny,  little 
form  was  operated  by  patent  springs.  "  It's  got 
wiggles  in  it  plum  awful !  "  Again  he  turned  and 
twisted  to  and  fro,  at  last  rolling  bodily  upon  the 
dog  that  lay  in  a  tight,  brown  ball  between  the  two 
gray  blankets.  The  little  creature  grumbled  a 

83 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

sleepy  protest,  then  by  way  of  mutely  asking  par- 
don and  evincing  such  friendly  interest  as  he 
could,  he  licked  Jinks'  face  with  a  warm,  moist 
tongue.  Jinks  promptly  grasped  him  close  in  his 
arms,  but  even  the  dog's  sympathy  failed  to  still 
the  wiggle  that  seemed  to  have  attacked  the  boy's 
body  all  about  in  spots,  and  then  united  in  one  big, 
general  squirm. 

"  You  was  plum  froze,  and  he  took  you  in  and 
thawed  you  at  his  own  stove,  in  his  own  chair,  un- 
til you  was  as  warm  as  the  toast  he  give  you  to 
eat."  Jinks'  inside  was  talking  to  him  that  night 
for  the  first  time,  but  it  spoke  in  no  uncertain  tones. 
The  boy  wriggled  and  stared  hard  at  the  big,  red 
eye  of  the  stove.  He  did  not  answer  back,  though, 
for  all  his  old,  saucy  assurance  seemed  to  have 
suddenly  deserted  him. 

'  You  was  starving  —  you  and  the  dog  —  and 
he  filled  both  of  you  up  until  you  was  fit  to  bust 
with  the  ham  and  the  toast  and  the  good  stuff  in 
the  cup."  Never  before  had  Jinks'  inside  had  a 
chance  at  him.  It  was  making  good  use  of  its  op- 
portunity. 

Jinks  wriggled  some  more.  Then  he  pulled  the 
gray  blanket  up  over  his  face  until  he  was  all  hid- 

84 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

den  except  the  tip-top  of  his  glowing  head.  The 
red  hair  stuck  out  above  the  roll  of  gray  like  a 
ragged  poppy. 

"Puffety  —  puffety  —  puffety  —  PUFF!" 
came  floating  down  the  stairs  in  a  peal  of  jolly 
nasal  thunder. 

Jinks  stuffed  a  finger  tight  into  each  ear.  This 
failed  to  work  as  he  had  supposed  it  would,  though, 
for  while  it  shut  out  Peter's  chokes  and  snorts 
very  effectively,  the  deep  silence  gave  the  talkative 
inside  an  even  better  chance  than  it  had  had  before. 
Jinks  had  not  yet  learned  that  once  the  inside  voice 
becomes  audible,  nothing  can  ever  render  it  in- 
articulate again  save  to  voluntarily  block  up  with 
spirit-stifling  material  the  channel  through  which 
the  God-spark  radiates  into  our  consciousness. 
"  He  gave  you  a  bed  to  sleep  in, —  a  soft  bed,  too, 
the  very  first  you  ever  did  have  I  And  it's  got  a 
gray  kiver  to  it,  a  spanking  new  one  what  he 
pulled  right  out  of  a  box  just  for  you  and  the 
dog !  " 

Jinks  rooted  like  a  mole,  head-first,  down  into 
the  straw.  Somehow  he  felt  what  was  coming 
next  sub-consciously,  and  he  tried  to  burrow  so 
deep  it  could  not  possibly  catch  up  with  him.  He 

85 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

did  not  know  the  wonderful  traveling  power  pos- 
sessed by  a  talkative  inside! 

"  And  he  trusted  you,  Jinks !  Trusted  Josh's 
Jinks,  what  nobody  ever  did  trust  afore!  " 

Jinks  had  listened  in  silence  to  all  the  rest.  He 
plucked  up  a  little  spirit  now,  and  talked  back. 
"  Shucks !  You  just  shut  up  !  You  think  I  don't 
know  about  that?  Wasn't  I  standing  right  here, 
—  me  and  the  dog  both?  We  seen  him  and  heard 
him  when  he  done  it !  " 

1  You  do  be  a  fine  one  to  trust  now  I  Oh, 
Jinks,  but  you  are  a  bird  I  Ricollict  who  it  was  as 
busted  the  window  out  of  Flannigan's  store  last 
week?" 

Jinks'  brilliant  head  popped  out  of  the  gray 
blanket  folds.  He  sat  up  on  his  pile  of  straw, 
shivering,  though  this  time  it  was  not  with  cold. 
"  I  done  it,"  he  whispered  to  the  accusing  voice. 
"  And  —  and  —  I  just  ever-lastingly  cussed  him 
black  and  blue  and  spotted  that  day,  I  did!  " 

"  Sure,  you  did,"  agreed  the  uncompromising 
inside.  "  And  you  meant  to  bust  the  window,  and 
you  were  mad  as  hops  because  you  couldn't  think 
up  no  more  names  to  call  him.  And  then  you 
kicked  over  that  whole  box  of  lamp  chimbleys,  and 

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JINKS'        INSIDE 

you  knocked  Sis  slap-bang  right  into  the  case  of 
eggs !  " 

Jinks'  head  bobbed  up  and  down  in  unhappy 
confirmation  of  it  all.  "  And  they  was  plum 
squashed,  them  eggs,  every  last  one  of  'em,"  he 
whimpered  right  into  the  brown  dog's  ear.  "  He 
didn't  know  it  was  Sis  and  me  that  done  it.  He 
thought  it  was  Tommy.  Tommy's  just  hell  on 
Flannigan's  eggs, —  he  busts  every  one  he  can  find 
in  passing." 

'  That  ain't  all,"  went  on  the  inside  voice. 
''  To-day  now, —  the  very  day  he  treated  you 
whiter  than  anybody  ever  did  treat  you  before, — 
you  stole  his  apples  and  you  showed  the  other  boys 
how  they  could  steal  'em,  too.  And  here  you  are, 
right  in  his  store,  by  his  stove,  on  his  straw,  all 
kivered  with  his  gray  blankets !  " 

Jinks  sat  huddled  up  in  the  middle  of  the 
kindling  box  for  what  seemed  an  eternity  to  him. 
The  fire  died  low;  the  dog  rolled  over  in  a  warm 
corner  to  continue  his  interrupted  slumber,  and  the 
boy  was  alone,  staring  into  the  darkness  with  wide, 
miserable  eyes.  His  shoulders  were  hunched  up, 
his  skinny  little  knees  drawn  close  under  his  chin. 
He  crouched  there  listening  to  the  "  Puffery  — 

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JINKS'        INSIDE 

puffety  —  puffety  —  puffs !  "  floating  down  the 
stairs,  until  he  could  bear  it  no  longer. 

"  I've  just  got  to  do  something !  "  he  whispered 
to  himself  at  last,  as  a  faint  streak  of  gray  peered 
dimly  in  at  the  rear  window.  "  I  just  got  to  go  up 
there  and  tell  him  what  I've  did  to  him  !  I've  just 
got  to  do  it,  because  if  I  am  all  them  things  I  done 
found  out  about  being  to-night,  cross-my-heart  I 
ain't  no  sneak  I  " 

After  seeing  Jinks  comfortably  tucked  away  in 
the  kindling  box,  Peter  Flannigan  had  mounted  to 
his  room  with  feelings  of  the  deepest  satisfaction 
swelling  within  him.  Seldom  had  any  one  ever 
shared  his  hospitality,  and  never  before  had  a  child 
slept  beneath  his  roof. 

Peter  smiled  a  series  of  broad  smiles  to  himself 
as  he  undressed.  He  chuckled  a  roundelay  of 
chuckles  as  he  retired  beneath  the  warm  covers  of 
his  bed.  And  he  dreamed  of  children's  faces  after 
he  went  to  sleep,  faces  that  at  first  were  thin 
and  white,  but  that  under  his  ministrations  grew 
round  and  rosy,  and  filled  with  the  smiles  and 
the  joy-light  that  belong  by  divine  right  to  child- 
hood. 

"  Puffety  —  puffety  —  puffety  —  PUF-F-F-F- 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

F-F1  "  boomed  Peter  as  he  snored  his  way  right 
joyously  through  dreamland. 

For  several  hours  no  other  sound  broke  into  the 
silence  of  the  store.  From  far  away  there  came  an 
occasional  fire-cracker  explosion,  but  all  was  still 
in  the  big  building  whose  rear  opened  out  on  Para- 
dise Alley. 

"  Puffery  —  puffery  — "  Peter  had  just  started 
in  on  an  unusually  long-drawn  puff,  when  it  was 
broken  off  short  right  in  the  middle.  With  a  snort 
and  a  choke  he  came  upright  in  the  bed.  He  was 
easily  awakened,  for  he  kept  no  night  watchman, 
and  at  the  slightest  unusual  sound  he  was  on  his 
feet.  As  he  sat  up  Peter  knew  that  somewhere 
down-stairs  there  had  been  a  loud  crash. 

Silently  he  reached  to  the  wall  and  touched  the 
electric-button.  The  room  was  at  once  a  blaze  of 
light.  It  showed  that  Peter  Flannigan  was  pre- 
pared for  whatever,  or  whoever,  might  come,  for 
a  large  revolver  lay  on  the  table  within  easy  reach 
of  his  hand.  He  kept  his  cash  box  under  the  bed, 
and  as  it  was  always  well  filled  he  never  took  any 
chances. 

Peter  sat  up  in  bed,  his  head  on  one  side,  listen- 
ing intently.  For  a  moment  all  was  still,  then  came 

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JINKS'        INSIDE 

the  sound  of  shuffling  feet  creeping  cautiously  across 
the  floor  below.  Peter  looked  disagreeable. 
"  Ah  —  sure  now,  and  'tis  a  fool  I'm  a  thinking 
ye  have  been,  Peter,  me  boy !  "  he  muttered.  "  Ye 
had  far  better  have  left  the  little  chap  to  starve  and 
freeze  in  the  Alley,  for  as  I'm  a  living  man  that's 
him  creeping  about  down  below."  His  face 
changed,  the  frown  on  his  brow  grew  blacker. 
The  creeping  footsteps  were  coming  up  the  stairs. 
Closer  and  closer  they  approached.  Then  a 
ragged  figure  stood  in  the  doorway. 

"  Halt,  just  where  ye  are !  "  rang  out  Peter's 
voice,  curtly  and  harshly.  The  figure  paused 
abruptly.  A  wan,  grimy  face  was  lifted,  a  pair 
of  wide,  blue  eyes  blinked  uncertainly  at  the  bright 
light. 

"  It's  me,  Mister,  it's  just  Jinks,"  said  the  high, 
sweet  treble  that  always  made  Peter  Flannigan 
cock  his  ear  to  listen. 

"  Sure,  and  I  see  that  it's  ye, —  who  else  would 
it  be,  now  ?  But  the  thing  I'd  like  to  know  is  what 
ye  be  after  this  time  of  the  night?  First  a-knock- 
ing  of  me  house  down,  and  then  slipping  up  here 
to  rouse  an  honest  man  out  of  his  own  sleep,  in  his 
own  bed,  under  his  own  roof!"  Peter's  voice 

90 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

was  at  its  harshest,  Peter's  frown  his  very  blackest. 
His  face  took  on  an  added  fierceness  from  the  bril- 
liant red-flannel  night  cap  that  stuck  straight  up 
on  his  head.  Peter's  hair  was  growing  thin  on  top 
and  his  scantily  clothed  crown  became  cold  in  the 
winter  nights ;  so,  as  he  always  made  himself  thor- 
oughly comfortable  physically,  he  had  adopted 
night  caps. 

"I  —  I  fell  over  the  big  chair,"  faltered  Jinks. 
"  I  was  a-coming  up  here  and  I  just  went  everlast- 
ingly ker-slap-bang  right  over  it !  " 

"  Sure  and  I  heard  ye !  Ye  made  noise  enough 
to  raise  the  dead,  without  any  need  of  the  good 
saint  tooting  the  last  trump !  And  now  that  ye 
are  here,  what  might  it  be  that  has  brought  ye  out 
at  such  an  unholy  hour,  eh?  " 

Jinks  went  close  to  the  side  of  the  big  bed.  He 
was  so  taken  up  with  his  inner  disturbances  that 
he  failed  to  glance  at  the  large,  well-furnished 
room  he  was  in.  "  Mister,  it's  my  inside.  It 
ain't  been  a-talking  to  me  exactly,  but  it's  been 
a-saying  things, —  plum,  awful  things !  It  do 
bother  me  tumble !  " 

Jinks  turned  such  a  woe-begone  face  to  Peter 
that  the  big  storekeeper  came  a  bit  nearer  to  the 

91 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

edge  of  the  bed.  He  removed  his  flaming  head- 
dress, much  to  Jinks'  relief.  "  And  is  it  a  pain 
that  ye  have?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  ain't  ever  had  nothing  like  it  before,"  said 
Jinks,  shaking  his  head. 

Peter  looked  sympathetic.  One  of  his  pet  hob- 
bies was  the  doctoring  of  his  friends.  Peter  Flan- 
nigan  was  a  proud  and  a  happy  man  when  he  could 
induce  any  one  to  take  a  pill  or  apply  a  plaster. 
"  Ah-h,  sure  1  Will  ye  just  tell  me  where  it  has 
hitched  itself  to  ye,  and  faith  I'll  give  ye  a  dose 
of  physic  that'll  very  soon  relieve  ye." 

"  It's  right  in  my  inside,"  said  Jinks.  His  whole 
ragged  figure  shrank  together.  His  head  drooped 
as  it  had  never  yet  drooped  before  mortal  man  in 
all  his  ten  years. 

'  That's  fine,"  quoth  Peter,  his  eyes  bright  with 
interest.  He  got  up  and  sat  on  the  side  of  the 
bed,  his  big,  red  feet  dangling  from  beneath  the 
generously  flowing  tails  of  his  yellow  flannel 
nightie.  "  Just  ye  show  me  now  whereabouts 
in  yer  inside  it  do  be  a-gripping  of  ye  the 
hardest." 

"  It's  right  in  here.  That's  where  it's  the 
worsest."  Jinks  clasped  both  hands  tight  above 

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JINKS'       INSIDE 

his  solar  plexus,  and  turned  a  pair  of  wide,  miser- 
able eyes  on  Peter. 

"  Dear  me,  now  but  that's  too  bad!  That  will 
be  the  stomach  of  ye,  I'm  thinking.  And  what 
might  ye  be  after  having  in  yer  inside,  do  ye  sup- 
pose, to  make  it  take  ye  so  sudden?  " 

"  That  there  winder  what  I  broke  last  week," 
burst  out  Jinks  explosively.  "  And  all  them  times 
I  cussed  you  black  and  blue  and  spotted, —  and 
that  there  box  of  lamp  chimbleys  I  busted, —  and 
them  eggs  I  squashed.  I  knocked  Sis  into  'em,  and 
she  just  ever-lastingly  lit  a-settin',  and  never  left 
a  whole  one  in  the  bunch !  And  them  apples  I 
swiped  from  you  to-day,  and  helped  the  other  boys 
to  swipe, —  and  the  gray  kiver  for  me  and  the  dog, 
—  and  the  ham  you  give  to  us  — "  As  the  boy 
paused  for  lack  of  breath  to  go  on,  Peter  gasped, 
then  sat  very  still.  His  face  had  been  a  study  as 
he  listened  to  the  outburst.  Alarm,  consternation, 
amusement,  then,  at  the  last,  comprehension 
passed  in  quick  succession  across  his  broad  counte- 
nance. 

Peter  sat  staring  down  at  the  ragged  pile  into 
which  Jinks  had  huddled  close  beside  his  feet. 
This  was  another  than  the  Paradise  Alley  imp  of 

93 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Peter's  previous  acquaintance, —  nor  was  it  the 
famished  little  animal  he  had  fed  beside  the  stove 
a  few  hours  before.  The  quivering,  sobbing  heap 
on  the  floor  was  a  child, —  a  forlorn,  unloved,  un- 
taught child, —  battling  with  a  mighty  inner  force 
he  did  not  understand,  and  all  unconscious  as  yet  of 
the  great  gift,  the  divine  gift  of  the  higher  self 
which  he  was  now  coming  into  conscious  possession 
of  for  the  first  time. 

Peter  Flannigan's  big  heart  understood,  al- 
though but  dimly.  "  Sure  now,  son,  it's  no  won- 
der that  yc  felt  ailing  with  all  that  in  the  inside  of 
ye,"  he  said.  The  deep  voice  was  so  kind  that 
Jinks  glanced  up  timidly  from  where  he  crouched. 
At  something  he  saw  in  the  keen  eyes  bent  upon 
him,  the  boy  reached  out  and  laid  a  grimy  hand 
upon  Peter's  yellow-flannel-covered  knee.  "  It's 
all  out  of  ye  now,  Jinks,  every  last  scrap  of  it;  be 
ye  very  sure  of  that,  me  boy.  And  I'll  say  this 
for  ye, —  ye  did  it  like  a  man, —  a  clean  man  at 
that !  Get  ye  up  now  and  go  back  to  bed.  We'll 
just  say  no  more  about  what  has  been,  but  we'll 
keep  a  sharp  lookout  to  see  that  what's  clean  stays 
that  same." 

Jinks  got  slowly  to  his  feet.  As  he  arose  he 
94 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

wavered  uncertainly  to  and  fro,  and  but  for  the 
hand  that  still  clung  to  Peter's  knee,  he  would 
have  fallen.  He  had  suddenly  grown  too  tired  to 
stand. 

"  Sure  now,  and  'tis  worn  to  a  fiddle-string  that 
ye  are,"  Peter  said.  And  though  the  room  was 
going  around  in  a  giddy  dance,  Jinks  looked  up 
and  his  half-closed  eyes  opened  wide  and  bright  at 
the  wonderful  gentleness  of  Peter's  voice.  '  Just 
rest  ye  here  on  the  couch  until  the  morning.  Then 
we'll  have  a  try  at  getting  the  outside  of  ye  as  clean 
as  ye  swept  the  inside  to-night." 

Peter  Flannigan  lifted  the  boy's  slight  figure  in 
his  strong  arms  as  he  spoke  and  carried  him  across 
the  room  to  a  wide  couch.  Placing  him  among 
the  great  pile  of  pillows  he  covered  him  closely 
with  a  heavy  comfort  that  he  took  from  the  foot 
of  his  own  bed. 

a  And  what  might  be  the  trouble  with  ye  now?  " 
demanded  Peter,  turning  around  in  the  middle  of 
the  room  on  his  way  to  bed.  For  no  sooner  was 
Jinks  deposited  on  the  couch,  than  he  began  to 
get  up  again. 

Jinks  raised  a  pair  of  dim,  but  surprised  eyes. 
"  It's  my  dog,"  he  said  simply.  "  Mister,  I  ain't 

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JINKS'        INSIDE 

ever  had  a  dog  before,  and  I  got  to  go  get  him." 
The  boy  was  zig-zagging  towards  the  door  on 
unsteady  feet  when  Peter's  big  hand  fell  upon  his 
shoulder. 

"  Just  ye  get  back  to  where  ye  came  from,  or 
ye'll  be  falling  and  cracking  yer  head;  for  bedad, 
ye  are  as  trembly  in  yer  legs  as  an  old  man.  I'll 
get  the  dog!  " 

Jinks  obediently  returned  to  the  couch,  and 
thrusting  his  big  feet  into  a  pair  of  gay  carpet 
slippers,  Peter  Flannigan  stalked  majestically 
down  the  stairs  to  bring  up  his  other  guest. 


CHAPTER  SIX 

On  Christmas  morning  Peter  Flannigan  was  up 
and  bustling  about  the  store  bright  and  early. 
He  dressed  quietly  when  the  first  sun-ray  peered 
in  at  his  open  window,  and  slipping  out  left 
Jinks  utterly  unconscious  that  daylight  again  shone 
upon  the  world  of  men.  The  boy  was  still  closely 
rolled  in  the  heavy  coverings  Peter  had  tucked 
about  him  several  hours  before.  So  far  as  the  big 
man  could  tell,  he  had  not  moved  even  a  finger 
since  he  had  clasped  the  dog  close  in  his  arms  on 
Peter's  return  and  then  crumpled  up  among  the 
crimson  cushions  with  a  long  sigh  of  utter  mental 
and  physical  weariness. 

The  brown  dog  stirred  .slightly  when  Peter 
walked  over  to  the  couch,  and,  peering  out  from 
under  Jinks'  chin,  winked  a  friendly  eye  at  the 
keen  gray  ones  looking  down  upon  him.  Then, 
with  a  slight  waggle  of  his  soft  ears,  and  a  wide, 
pink  yawn,  he  snuggled  back  cozily,  and  was  in- 
stantly as  sound  asleep  as  the  boy. 

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JINKS'        INSIDE 

Peter  stood  for  a  long,  long  time  beside  the  low 
couch  that  morning,  his  hands  thrust  in  his 
pockets,  the  bushy  brows  drawn  together  across  his 
big  nose,  and  his  gray  eyes  studying  the  face  rest- 
ing among  the  soft  cushions.  In  the  relaxation 
of  deep  sleep,  the  boyish  countenance  showed 
plainly  its  sad  hollows  and  sharp  angles.  Peter 
looked  long  at  the  dark  shadows  under  the  eyes; 
his  searching  glance  noted  the  weary  curve  of  the 
sensitive  lips  now  that  they  were  no  longer  tucked 
up  at  the  corners  by  Jinks'  impish  grin.  The  big 
man  studied  each  feature  carefully,  thoughtfully. 
He  saw  how  soft  and  fine  the  red  hair  was,  how  the 
brow  it  waved  back  from  was  both  wide  and  high. 
The  nose  and  mouth  were  well  cut,  the  chin 
sharply  enough  defined  to  promise  will  power  suf- 
ficient—  if  rightly  directed  —  to  make  good  use 
of  the  high  mental  and  spiritual  qualities  that  the 
upper  half  of  the  face  clearly  indicated.  There 
was  a  tiny  dent  in  the  center  of  the  square  chin, 
Peter  noted  with  secret  satisfaction,  and  as 
he  marched  down-stairs  a  few  moments  later,  he 
thought  to  himself  that  when  sufficient  food  had 
rounded  out  a  few  of  Jinks'  corners  he  might  de- 
velop a  very  roguish  dimple. 

98 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Peter  Flannigan's  brow  was  puckered  and  his 
mouth  pursed  up,  as  though  pulled  tight  with  a 
gathering  string,  as  he  boiled  the  water  for  coffee 
that  morning  and  sliced  the  bread  and  ham.  He 
seemed  to  have  no  intention  of  going  out  for  break- 
fast, and  dismissed  the  porter  as  soon  as  the -fur- 
nace was  looked  after  and  the  store  swept.  He 
also  blinked  inhospitably  through  the  half-open 
rear  door  at  the  little  caretaker  when  she  came, 
and  told  her  his  room  would  need  nothing  that 
day.  To  both  the  dingy  little  woman  and  the  big 
negro  Peter  presented  a  substantial  gift  of  money, 
and  then  closed  the  door  behind  them  with  a  sigh 
of  the  deepest  satisfaction.  He  evidently  had 
some  plan  on  hand  that  he  wished  to  work  out 
alone  and  in  strict  privacy. 

Peter  began  his  preparations  for  breakfast  by 
spreading  a  sheet  of  clean  white  paper  on  top  of 
a  big  box  that  he  drew  up  close  to  the  glowing 
stove.  Then  he  went  to  the  china  department 
and  rummaged  about  a  long  time,  whistling  hap- 
pily to  himself  as  he  searched  for  the  particular 
thing  that  he  desired.  By  and  by  he  came  back 
to  the  stove  bearing  a  gay  cup  and  saucer  in  one 
hand  and  a  flowered  plate  in  the  other.  These 

99 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

he  placed  on  one  side  of  the  box  and  stood  back 
to  admire  them,  laughing  bashfully  at  himself  as 
he  leaned  over  twice  to  straighten  the  plate  and 
put  the  cup  in  the  exact  center  of  the  saucer. 

A  large  platter  filled  with  his  finest  fruit  was 
next  deposited  on  the  box,  exactly  in  the  middle, 
where  it  stood  noble  guard  over  several  packages 
of  fire-crackers  that  he  had  arranged  in  an  artistic 
semicircle  about  the  brilliantly  flowered  plate.  A 
second  trip  to  the  china  department  added  a  plump 
glass  bowl  to  the  box's  decorations.  This  was 
piled  high  with  candies  and  nuts  and,  when  topped 
off  with  a  big  bunch  of  holly,  formed  the  crown- 
ing glory  of  Peter's  Christmas  feast. 

After  standing  with  his  head  on  one  side  a  few 
seconds  to  admire  the  result  of  his  handiwork, 
Peter  fried  his  ham  and  made  his  coffee  and 
buttered  his  toast,  and  wound  up  by  cooking 
several  eggs  as  the  last  part  of  the  coming  cele- 
bration. 

"  Sure,  and  never  before  have  I  had  a  Christ- 
mas since  I  was  a  kid  in  petticoats,"  he  said  to 
himself,  as  he  brushed  his  coat  carefully  and  tied 
a  clean  apron  across  his  wide  front.  "  And  last 
night  was  the  first  time  in  all  me  life  that  a  Christ- 

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JINKS'        INSIDE 

mas  eve  prisint  ever  came  a-knocking  right  at  me 
very  own  door !  " 

Peter  shook  his  shaggy  gray  head  and  stood 
before  the  stove,  so  lost  in  some  thought  he  was 
grappling  with  that  he  burned  a  piece  of  bread  to 
a  cinder.  "  I  may  be  a  dunder-headed  old  fool, 
but  for  all  that  'tis  meself  that's  thinking  of  hav- 
ing a  try  at  it,"  he  muttered  as  he  absent-mindedly 
bit  a  half  moon  out  of  the  blackened  toast  he  still 
held  in  his  hand. 

The  big,  white-faced  clock  on  the  wall  ticked 
away  half  an  hour,  and  still  Peter  Flannigan  stood 
before  the  stove  thoughtfully  scratching  the  end 
of  his  bottle  nose  with  the  handle  of  the  toasting 
fork.  Suddenly  he  was  roused  out  of  his  revery 
by  a  joyous  bark  up-stairs,  mingled  with  a  ringing, 
boyish  laugh.  Peter's  broad,  red  face  crinkled  up 
into  a  beaming  smile,  and  he  cocked  his  gray  head 
on  one  side  to  listen  to  what  was  evidently  a  wak- 
ing-up  frolic,  and,  as  the  unusual  sounds  floated 
down  into  the  store,  his  great  bulk  shook  with 
sympathetic  mirth  as  though  in  the  grasp  of  some 
subterranean  earthquake.  "  Whist  now,"  he 
chuckled,  winking  confidentially  at  the  toasting 
fork;  "  will  ye  but  listen  to  'em,  the  little  divils!  " 

101 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Then,  as  the  rapid  patter  of  feet  sounded  on  the 
narrow  stairs,  he  nodded  his  head  and  added  to 
himself,  "  Mayhap  after  all  the  fools  in  the  world 
lay  grip  to  bits  of  heart-wisdom  once  in  so 
often  that  the  clever  ones  never  set  eyes  on  at-all, 
at-all." 

Surely  in  all  the  city  there  was  not  such  another 
Christmas  breakfast  as  was  the  one  served  on  top 
of  a  dry-goods  box  in  the  big  store  whose  rear 
end  opened  into  Paradise  Alley!  And  surely  in 
all  the  city  no  holiday  feast  was  so  thoroughly  en- 
joyed as  was  this  same  breakfast  by  the  old  Irish- 
man who  sat  on  one  side  of  the  box  as  host,  and 
by  the  gutter  child  who  sat  on  the  other  as  guest, 
while  on  all  sides  was  the  brown  dog,  his  interest 
keeping  pace  with  his  appetite,  neither  flagging 
from  start  to  finish. 

Jinks  was  astonished  at  how  hungry  he  was. 
And  Peter  Flannigan  was  astonished,  and  right 
joyful  as  well,  at  the  truly  marvelous  amount  of 
bread  and  ham  and  eggs  and  fruit  that  the  small 
boy  managed  to  make  away  with. 

"  Mister,  I  just  know  for  true  they  ain't  got 
things  as  nice  as  these  at  the  jail,"  confided  Jinks, 
giving  the  feast  the  highest  praise  his  limited  ex- 

102 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

perience  enabled  him  to  bestow.  He  had  pushed 
his  chair  back  and  was  gazing  with  wide,  bright 
eyes  at  the  greatly  diminished  pile  of  fruit  in  the 
center  of  the  board.  As  he  looked  up  to  smile 
at  Peter,  the  big  man  told  himself  that  it  would 
not  take  many  such  meals  as  this  to  make  the  dim- 
ple in  Jinks'  chin  grow,  or  rather  deepen,  into  a 
reality. 

'  Ye  don't  find  things  such  as  we  have  in  jails, 
son."  Peter  had  risen  from  his  chair  and  stood 
beside  the  box  looking  down  at  the  boy  with  grave, 
puzzled  eyes.  He  spoke  slowly,  hesitatingly,  his 
mind  reaching  forth  gropingly  after  the  best  path 
to  follow  in  uprooting  the  jail-kink  from  where  it 
had  adhered  to  Jinks'  mentality.  "  The  jail  is  a 
place  where  only  those  are  put  who  have  let  the 
dirt  from  without  soak  all  the  way  in  and  then 
stick  there,  hard  and  fast.  Folks  with  clean  in- 
sides  never  enter  the  jail  doors,  Jinks,  unless  — " 
Peter  sat  down  suddenly,  his  mouth  open.  Some- 
thing had  popped  into  his  consciousness  with  an  un- 
expectedness that  made  him  bat  his  eyes  as  from 
a  blow. — "  Unless,  sonny,  they  have  found  a  kind 
of  a-a  broom,  as  ye  might  call  it,  that  they  wanted 
to  pass  along  for  the  other  poor  souls  to  sweep  the 

103 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

trash  piles  out  of  their  insides  with, —  just  as  ye 
did  last  night." 

Jinks  nodded.  He  did  not  quite  understand, 
but  then  neither  did  Peter, —  entirely.  The  faint 
shadow  of  a  great  life-truth  had  fallen  dimly  across 
the  inner  vision  of  the  big  Irishman,  and  in  a  half- 
blind  fashion  he  had  tried  to  follow  its  lead  by 
passing  it  on  to  the  child  so  strangely  thrown  un- 
der his  roof. 

Peter  soon  bustled  off  to  wait  on  a  stray  cus- 
tomer or  two,  and  Jinks  and  the  brown  dog  sat  in 
the  big  chair  before  the  stove,  the  one  asleep,  the 
other  very  wide  awake. 

There  was  none  of  the  watchful  distrustfulness 
of  the  night  before  in  Jinks'  manner  now.  That 
spiritual  natal  hour  in  the  gray  dawn,  when  the 
heart  of  the  lonely  child  had  sought  and  found  the 
heart  of  the  lonely  man,  had  laid  forever  the  fear 
demon  in  Jinks  towards  Peter  Flannigan.  He 
had  accepted  his  breakfast  with  the  same  unques- 
tioning, matter-of-course  manner  in  which  the 
brown  dog  had  asked  for  and  received  his.  After 
Peter  went  his  busy  way,  Jinks  had  stood  for 
awhile  before  the  stove,  and  then  with  the  ease  that 
a  duckling  takes  to  a  puddle,  he  had  clasped  the 

104 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

dog  in  his  arms  and  curled  up  in  the  big  armchair, 
to  bask  again  in  the  wonderful  heat  to  which  his  in- 
side and  his  outside  both  responded  gratefully. 

With  a  wisdom  far  beyond  his  years,  the  boy 
had  dropped  the  past  like  a  garment  cast  aside. 
To  the  future  he  as  yet  gave  no  thought,  but  ac- 
cepted the  present  with  no  wonderings  as  to  the 
whats  or  the  whys  of  it  to  disturb  his  perfect  con- 
tent. It  is  thus  that  children  often  grasp  natu- 
rally and  unconsciously  in  their  entirety  the  deep- 
est philosophical  and  psychological  truths,  over 
whose  workings  out  gray-beards  have  vainly  tied 
knots  in  their  brains.  The  reason  for  this  is,  per- 
chance, that  the  greatest  truths  are  ever  the  sim- 
plest, and  when  they  appear  obscure  they  are 
merely  rendered  so  by  the  mental  genuflections  of 
those  who  come  searching  for  them. 

Shortly  after  breakfast  on  Christmas  morning 
Peter  Flannigan  was  seized  by  a  great  desire  to 
explore  boxes.  He  had  stood  looking  Jinks  over 
in  thoughtful  silence  for  several  minutes,  and  then 
with  a  head  shake  had  retired  to  that  section  of 
the  big  store  sacred  to  ready-made  clothing  for 
men  and  boys.  Peter  seldom  entered  this  part 
of  the  building,  and  as  he  pawed  his  impatient  way 

105 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

through  box  after  box,  leaving  wild  confusion  in 
his  wake,  the  bewilderment  on  his  red  face  grew  so 
deep  as  to  be  tragic.  The  more  he  looked  the 
less  he  knew,  and  at  last  he  tossed  a  pile  of  cloth- 
ing aside  with  a  groan  of  despair  and  a  snort  of 
indignation. 

"  Sure  now,  and  how  I'll  ever  get  the  size  and 
the  shape  of  him  and  the  covering  to  go  on  him 
to  match  at  all,  at  all?"  he  grumbled,  holding 
aloft  a  pair  of  trousers  that  were  large  enough 
for  a  giant,  in  one  hand,  and  flourishing  an  infant's 
sweater  in  the  other.  "  If  the  boy  was  but  pota- 
toes now,  faith,  I  could  get  the  size  of  him  exact 
in  the  peck  measure  1  And  if  his  shock  of  red  hair 
was  bacon,  'tis  meself  that  could  trim  it  up  so  neat 
it  would  make  any  one's  mouth  water  but  to  look 
at  it.  But  a  boy  now  —  what  one  does  be  after 
wearing  beats  me,  as  well  as  the  largeness  and  the 
smallness,  both  of  him  and  of  the  covering  to 
him!" 

Peter  stared  up  at  the  ceiling  seeking  help;  and 
finding  none,  he  groaned.  Then  he  propped  his 
chin  in  his  hand,  and  leaning  against  the  garment- 
strewn  counter  pondered  the  puzzling  question 
deeply.  That  he  thought  long  and  thought'  hard 

106 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

was  shown  by  the  anxious  pucker  between  his  eyes 
that  drew  his  bushy  brows  together  until  they  met 
over  his  big  nose.  Several  times  he  shook  his  head 
hopelessly,  then  suddenly  his  face  began  to  beam 
and  his  eyes  to  twinkle  as  though  a  lamp  had  been 
lighted  somewhere  in  his  interior. 

Like  a  flash,  inspiration  had  come  to  him.  Mrs. 
Banny,  the  little  caretaker  who  had  cleaned  his 
room  daily  for  the  past  three  years  1  She  might 
or  might  not  have  a  family,  but  she  was  a  woman, 
and  Peter  felt  intuitively  that  the  problem  his  mas- 
culine wits  were  struggling  vainly  to  solve,  was  one 
that  required  not  only  a  woman's  wisdom,  but  a 
woman's  experience  as  well.  He  would  pass  Jinks 
over  to  Mrs.  Banny  to  do  with  as  she  might  think 
best!  Peter  beamed  and  twinkled  and  rubbed  his 
hands  together  in  self-congratulation.  So  com- 
pletely had  the  thought  of  Mrs.  Banny  clarified 
his  mental  atmosphere,  that  he  felt  as  though  his 
mind  had  sneezed. 

"  And  do  ye  be  after  knowing  just  w'ere  it  is 
that  Mistress  Banny  lives,  Jinks?"  Peter  de- 
manded a  few  moments  later,  marching  briskly 
into  the  rear  of  the  store.  Jinks  looked  up  from 
his  nest  in  the  big  chair,  his  eyes  wide  and  bright. 

107 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

His  glowing  top-knot  nodded  a  complete  knowl- 
edge of  Mrs.  Banny's  whereabouts. 

"  She  lives  right  down  the  Alley,  in  the  house 
what's  got  the  crookedest  top  and  the  dirtiest  every- 
thing, sixth  floor,  back,"  he  explained  glibly. 

"  Well,  'tis  right  straight  to  Mistress  Banny 
that  we'll  be  a-going,"  said  Peter,  reaching  for  his 
hat  and  coat  as  he  spoke. 

"  Sure,  now  that  ye  have  gotten  the  inside  of 
ye  clean  and  neat,  we  must  be  after  getting  yer 
outside  scrubbed  up  to  go  with  it.  It's  always 
safest,  me  boy,  to  have  all  yer  parts  so  trimmed 
that  they'll  match  perfect."  Peter  shook  his  big 
head  wisely.  Jinks  at  once  shook  his  head  assent- 
ingly,  and  the  brown  dog  sat  up  on  his  hind  legs 
and  held  out  a  paw  to  shake  hands,  in  token  of 
his  thorough  approval  of  Peter  and  of  Peter's 
views  upon  all  things  as  well. 

"  We'll  have  to  rest  here  a  bit,  son." 
As  Peter  Flannigan  spoke,  he  and  Jinks  reached 
the  foot  of  the  fifth  flight  of  stairs  in  the  dingiest 
tenement  on  Paradise  Alley,  and  the  big  store- 
keeper paused  with  a  puff  and  a  wheeze.  He 
leaned  against  the  tipsy  banisters,  panting  for  the 

108 


Sis. 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

breath  he  had  lost  in  the  climb  up  the  almost  per- 
pendicular steps  that  lay  behind  them. 

Jinks  peered  eagerly  up  the  dim  length  of  long, 
ladder-like  stairs  that  extended  into  the  gloom  of 
the  next  floor.  He  grinned  broadly  as  he  spied  a 
dark  bundle  on  the  top  step.  "  There's  Sis !  "  he 
announced,  nodding  his  head  upward. 

Peter  frowned  darkly.  "Sis!"  said  he  in  his 
deepest  bass.  "  Sure  now,  and  there's  not  such 
another  little  limb  in  all  Paradise  Alley  as  that 
Sis!" 

Jinks  promptly  backed  off  until  he  brought  up 
against  the  wall,  and  the  admiring  friendliness  with 
which  he  had  been  regarding  Peter  all  morning 
vanished  from  his  small,  freckled  face.  Hostil- 
ity began  to  gather  in  his  blue  eyes.  "  Sis  is  — 
Sis  is  just  the  bang-upest,  bulliest  chap  a-going! 
And  I  double-dare  anybody  to  say  she  ain't! 
Cross-my-heart  I  do !  "  he  blazed,  his  tone  so  bel- 
ligerent that  at  sound  of  it  Peter  Flannigan  jumped 
entirely  out  of  his  abstraction  and  landed  right  in 
the  middle  of  present  conditions.  He  stared  down 
to  find  a  pair  of  big  eyes  several  feet  beneath  his 
own  emitting  blue  sparks,  and  Jinks'  meager  front 
swelling  wrath  fully. 

109 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  Sure,  and  'tis  meself  that  has  had  experience 
of  her  along  with  the  rest  of  ye,"  exploded  Peter, 
his  peppery  temper  beginning  to  sizzle.  "  And 
I'll  say  this  for  her,  she's  the  worst  in  the  whole 
bunch !  Such  a  tongue  never  have  I  come  across 
in  all  me  born  days !  "  The  memory  of  the  many 
things  he  had  endured  at  the  hands  of  the  Para- 
dise Alley  crowd  brought  a  heavy  frown  to  Peter's 
brow  and  a  spark  of  fire  to  his  keen  eyes. 

Jinks  did  not  reply  at  once  to  the  big  man's  ex- 
plosion. He  stood  puffing  himself  out  like  a 
pouter  pigeon  when  he  glanced  up  towards  where 
he  felt,  rather  than  saw,  Sis  on  the  stairs;  and 
then  frowning  perplexedly  as  he  looked  at  Peter. 

"Sis  —  Sis  ain't  —  at  least  all  of  Sis  ain't  — 
what  you  think,  if  the  rest  of  her  is!  "  he  burst 
forth  at  last,  floundering  hopelessly  as  he  tried  to 
grasp  the  idea  that  slipped  like  an  eel  through  his 
mental  fingers. 

"  Oh !  "  said  Peter,  blankly,  staring  down  into 
the  small,  anxious  face  raised  to  his.  "  So  you 
think  she  isn't,  eh?  " 

Jinks  shook  his  head.  "  She  ain't,"  he  insisted. 
"  I  know  she  ain't  what  you  think,  though  she  is 
plum  scary  when  she  jumps  right  slap-bang  on 

no 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

you  and  claws  your  jaw  and  chunks  you  in  the 
stummick !  But  you  see,  Mr.  Flannigan,  you  ain't 
ever,  never  seen  Sis's  inside !  " 

Peter's  broad  bulk  shook.  All  the  anger  had 
died  from  his  face  and  his  eyes  were  very  kind  as 
they  met  the  blue  ones  staring  up  at  him.  "  No," 
said  he,  "  I  haven't  seen  her  inside  1  And  sure, 
if  it  is  like  the  outside  of  her,  'tisn't  meself  that 
cares  to !  " 

"That's  it!"  beamed  Jinks  passing  over  the 
last  part  of  Peter's  remark  entirely  and  grasping 
the  first.  "  That's  just  plum  it !  You  wait  until 
you  see  Sis's  inside,  then  you'll  know!  " 

"All  right,"  agreed  Peter.  "I'll  wait,  son! 
And  now  that  I've  caught  a  bit  of  me  breath  again, 
suppose  we  climb  on  up  and  try  to  find  Mistress 
Banny." 

Jinks  scampered  up  the  uneven  stairs  with  a 
sureness  of  foot  and  celerity  of  movement  that  in- 
dicated thorough  familiarity  with  his  surround- 
ings. Peter  followed  ponderously  behind  his  small 
guide,  the  narrow  stairs  creaking  and  complaining 
dismally  beneath  his  heavy  tread. 

Sis  sat  huddled  on  the  top  step  with  her  elbows 
on  her  knees,  her  chin  in  her  palms,  and  her  whole 

in 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

being  sunk  in  such  deep  gloom  that  it  literally 
exuded  from  her  in  an  almost  visible  halo  of  de- 
spair. At  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps  she 
did  not  look  up,  but  merely  contracted  herself  into 
a  tighter  ball  and  shrank  a  little  closer  to  the  wall, 
that  the  intruders  might  have  room  to  pass. 

Jinks  paused,  his  head  on  a  level  with  Sis's 
drawn-up  knees.  "  You  Sis !  Come  right  straight 
down  out  of  where  you  have  flewed  to !  "  he  or- 
dered, giving  her  a  poke  in  the  ribs  with  his  fist 
that  was  vigorous  enough  to  call  her  soaring 
imagination  back  to  earth  from  even  celestial 
heights. 

Sis  looked  up  silently  in  response  to  this  friendly 
greeting,  but  with  none  of  the  usual  aggressiveness 
in  her  glance.  There  was  no  light  in  the  big, 
gray  eyes  that  met  Jinks'  blue  ones;  they  were 
dark,  almost  black  with  gloom.  She  said  noth- 
ing. 

Jinks  gave  the  small,  huddled-up  figure  a  quick 
glance.  It  was  bright  and  shrewd  with  a  knowl- 
edge of  many  things.  "  Grammar  still  on  the 
rampage?  "  he  demanded,  his  interest  so  deep  that 
he  forgot  entirely  the  big  man  who  stood  behind 
him  in  the  shadow. 

112 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"She  is,"  said  Sis.  "Drunk!  Oh,  my! 
Ain't  she  just !  " 

Jinks  cocked  his  head  on  one  side  and  eyed  Sis 
contemplatively.  "  I  thought  you  looked  done- 
upper'n  common,"  he  said.  "  Seems  to  me,  Sis,  by 
now  you'd  be  plum  seasoned  to  her." 

"  Seasoned?  "  sniffed  Sis,  the  light  of  battle  be- 
ginning to  gleam  faintly  in  her  large  eyes.  "  I 
was  born  seasoned  to  Granny,  but  cross-my-heart, 
I  ain't  seasoned  to  them  Bannys!  Gee!  I  don't 
mind  how  many  jigs  Granny  dances  when  the  drink 
gets  in  her  legs!  It's  them  Bannys,  I  tell  you! 
I've  got  'em  all,  from  Maudine  down  to  the 
freshest  twins,  a-setting  right  ker-slap-bang  on 
me!" 

"  Fight  'em !  "  suggested  Jinks  with  a  belliger- 
ent nod.  "  Just  you  hop  right  on  'em,  Sis,  and 
clean  up  the  bunch  !  I'll  help  !  " 

"  Huh !  "  Sis  sniffed  disdainfully.  "  They  das- 
sent  set  on  me!  They  are  jest  a-sticking  to  my  in 
here !  "  As  she  spoke  she  spread  a  dirty  little  paw 
over  the  region  of  her  solar  plexus  and  raised  such 
tragic  eyes  to  Jinks  that  he  sat  down  on  the  step 
beside  her  like  a  suddenly  punctured  balloon. 

Jinks'  unexpected  move  left  Peter  without  a 
"3 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

shield,  and  Sis's  stormy  eyes  looked  straight  into 
his  keen  ones!  But  so  weighty  was  the  burden 
resting  upon  her  ragged  little  shoulders  that  it 
prevented  her  feeling  the  least  astonishment  at 
Peter  Flannigan's  presence.  Fear  was  a  sensation 
totally  unknown  to  Sis,  and  in  the  many  encoun- 
ters with  Peter  in  Paradise  Alley  she  had  always 
danced  gaily  out  of  his  reach,  expressing  her  opin- 
ion of  him  in  fluent  terms  more  often  and  at  closer 
range  than  any  of  the  boys  had  ever  dared  do. 
Now  she  met  his  searching  look  fairly  and  squarely, 
defiance  slowly  beating  out  the  gloom  in  her  wide, 
beautiful  eyes. 

"  Ye  were  speaking  of  the  Bannys,"  said  Peter. 
"  'Tis  Mistress  Banny  that  I  am  seeking.  Will  I 
be  after  finding  her  above,  do  ye  think?  " 

Sis  nodded.  "You  will!"  said  she  emphatic- 
ally. '  You  just  surely  will  find  her  above,  as 
well  as  the  whole  bunch  of  'em  I  They've  been 
a-setting  there  ever  since  sun-up,  and  cross-my- 
heart-hope-I-may-die,  if  I  don't  believe  they'll 
every  last  one  of  'em  be  a-setting  there  until  sun- 
down!  And  if  Santa  Claus  don't  get  here  by 
then,  what  I'm  to  do  about  it  beats  me !  "  With 
the  last  word  Sis  dropped  her  chin  again  in  her 

114 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

palms,  and  resumed  her  interrupted  inspection  of 
her  ragged  toes. 

"  Eh?  "  said  Peter.     "  Santa  Claus,  is  it?  " 

"  I  say,  Sis,  did  they  hang  'em  up?  "  cried  Jinks 
excitedly.  "  Did  they  put  up  the  paper  bags?  " 

"Did  they?"  repeated  Sis,  then  paused  sud- 
denly while  she  engineered  her  way  carefully 
around  a  sob  that  was  about  to  prove  her  undoing. 
"  Jinks,  them  little  Bannys,  every  single  one,  hung 
up  a  paper  bag  last  night,  since  they  didn't  have 
stockings  enough  to  go  around  for  legs  —  much 
less  for  hanging." 

"And  I  say,  Sis, —  didn't  they  get  nothing? 
Not  NOTHING?  "  So  keen  was  Jinks'  anxiety  that 
he  leaned  far  over  to  peer  into  Sis's  downcast  face. 
Peter  also  came  up  another  step,  an  expectancy 
almost  as  great  as  Jinks'  in  his  eyes. 

"  Not  nothing !  "  said  Sis  in  smothered  tones. 
"  Not  a  single  NOTHING  1  Every  one  of  them  lit- 
tle Bannys'  paper  bags  was  a  hanging  there  this 
morning  as  empty  as  empty !  " 

"Gee!"  said  Jinks. 

"  Poor  little  devils,"  breathed  Peter. 

"  It  was  plum  awful  to  'em  all,  more  'special  to 
the  freshest  twins."  As  Sis  mentioned  the  young- 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

est  Bannys  her  big  eyes  grew  soft  and  tender  be- 
hind their  long,  black  lashes.  Her  tightly-shut 
mouth  relaxed,  and  the  corners  of  her  lips  curled 
up,  thereby  bringing  into  view  an  almost  imper- 
ceptible dimple  in  one  brown  cheek.  Peter  started 
as  he  looked  at  her.  Another  than  the  belliger- 
ent little  fury  familiar  to  Paradise  Alley  seemed 
to  have  crept  into  her  meager  body,  and  to  be 
peering  shyly  out  from  her  great,  tragic  eyes. 

"  What'd  you  do,  Sis?  Seeing  'twas  you  put 
'em  up  to  it,  you  just  had  to  do  something !  Did 
you  s'pose  'em  anything?  "  Absolute  faith  in  Sis's 
ability  to  find  a  way  out  of  the  situation  was  in 
Jinks'  face  and  voice  as  he  waited  breathlessly  for 
her  reply. 

"  It  was  the  very  worst  tie-up  ever  I  did  get 
tied  in !  "  said  Sis.  "  I  went  in  real  early  this 
morning,  and  there  set  Maudine,  crying,  and  she 
give  me  a  real  awful  sinking  in  my  middle,  because, 
her  being  cross-eyed  and  seeing  double,  for  every 
one  of  them  two  tears  a-running  along  her  nose 
she  was  seeing  four!  And  poor  little  Pearlie  was 
in  a  corner,  crying,  too!  She  never  had  had  a 
doll  in  her  arms  in  her  whole  life,  so  as  Santa  Claus 
was  free,  she  asked  for  a  sure  enough  one, —  a  big 

116 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

one,  too!  And  she'd  been  sleeping  in  the  crack 
between  the  bed  and  the  wall  for  a  week  to  keep 
her  place  smooth  for  the  doll  baby  to  lay  in!  I 
did  the  best  I  could  for  'em !  I  s'posed  and  I 
s'posed, —  but  Gee !  Six  s'posers  would  a-gotten 
flatted  out  with  all  them  little  Bannys  a-setting 
there  holding  empty  bags  and  looking  at  me  to 
s'pose  'em  full!  I  got  a  ball  s'posed  in  Andy 
Jackson's  and  there  I  stuck,  for  he  bellered  just 
awful,  and  said  I  might  s'pose  the  ball  but  that  I 
couldn't  s'pose  any  bounce  in  it.  And  I  couldn't, 
so  after  Andy  bellered  I  come  on  out  here  where 
I  couldn't  see  none  of  'em,  nor  hear  'em  either." 
Sis's  head  dropped  back  upon  her  hands,  and  she 
subsided  again  into  the  deepest  gloom. 

Peter  Flannigan  blew  a  trumpet-like  blast  on 
his  nose.  Then  he  coughed.  "  I'll  go  on  up  now 
to  see  Mistress  Banny,"  he  said  hurriedly.  '  Ye 
can  just  wait  for  me  here,  Jinks." 

Jinks  and  Sis  watched  Peter's  broad  back  until 
it  disappeared  down  the  side  hall  that  led  to  Mrs. 
Banny's  door.  Then  they  sat  a  moment  in  silence, 
staring  at  each  other.  Sis  nodded  her  mop  of 
dark  hair.  "  I  kinder  like  old  Flannigan's  smile," 
she  said  thoughtfully.  "  It  ain't  very  big  and  it 

117 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

don't  come  often,  but  it's  nice  the  way  it  sticks  to 
his  corners." 

«  He's  —  he's  —  I  say,  Sis,  old  —  Mr.—  Flan- 
nigan's  plum  BULLY!"  Jinks  swelled  with  the 
bigness  of  the  feeling  he  was  trying  to  express,  then 
sank  into  the  deepest  depression  at  the  utter  failure 
of  his  vocabulary  to  convey  his  meaning.  He  stuck 
his  hands  in  his  ragged  pockets  and  shook  his  head 
disappointedly.  "  He  just  is!  You  bet  I  "  he  re- 
peated. 

Sis  eyed  him  keenly  for  a  moment.  "  Where'd 
you  get  him?  "  she  demanded. 

"  I  didn't,"  replied  Jinks.  "  It  was  him  as  done 
it.  Got  me'n'  the  dog,  I  mean." 

"  Where  at?  "  probed  Sis.  "  You  better  tell  it 
quick,  or  I'll  slap  it  right  out  of  you!  "  Her  eyes 
began  to  flash. 

"  By  my  pants, —  behind,"  explained  Jinks.  "  I 
had  the  dog,  so  he  got  us  both.  He  took  us  into 
his  store,  and  let  us  stay  and  gave  us  a  lot  to  eat." 

Sis  propped  her  elbows  on  her  knees  and,  with 
her  chin  in  her  hands,  looked  hard  at  Jinks. 
"Honest,  Jinks?"  she  asked  wistfully,  a  great 
longing  in  her  eyes  and  voice.  "  Did  he  give  you 
something  to  eat?  A  whole  lot?  " 

118 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"He  did,"  nodded  Jinks.  "He  just  surely 
did,  Sis!  He  filled  us  both  plum  up  to  busting 
with  ham  and  toast." 

Sis  eyed  him  thoughtfully  a  moment,  then  she 
sighed.  "  It  must  a-took  a  awful  pile !  "  she  said. 

Jinks'  face  grew  gloomy.  u  It  did,"  said  he. 
"  It  did,  Sis.  And  I  get  all  emptied  out  and  ready 
to  fill  up  again  so  quick  I'm  scared  blue  his  eat- 
ing-things'll  give  out  before  my  hungry-holler  gets 
grewed  up." 


119 


CHAPTER  SEVEN 

Peter  Flannigan's  advent  into  Mrs.  Banny's  bare 
little  room  was  not  unlike  a  sudden  puff  of  wind 
sweeping  across  a  paper-strewn  floor,  or  an  unex- 
pected feline  caller  at  the  mouse's  ball.  As  the 
door  opened  in  answer  to  his  thunderous  knock,  he 
was  greeted  by  a  silent  circle  of  small,  woe-begone 
faces,  all  staring  at  him  in  wide-eyed  amazement. 
Then  when  he  entered,  and  the  uneven  floor 
creaked  and  quivered  beneath  his  heavy  tread,  in- 
stantly there  came  the  pattering  of  many  ragged 
shoes  and  the  fluttering  of  many  tattered  skirts,  in- 
cident to  a  general  exodus  of  little  Bannys  through 
an  open  door  on  one  side  of  the  tiny  stove. 

With  a  broom  in  one  hand  and  a  dust  cloth  in 
the  other,  Mrs.  Banny  fluttered  out  from  a  dim 
corner,  to  duck  a  funny  little  bow  of  greeting  when 
she  saw  who  the  intruder  was.  Then  carefully 
wiping  off  a  rickety  chair  with  the  cloth  in  her 
hand,  she  offered  it  to  Peter  in  silence,  her  aston- 
ishment at  his  unexpected  presence  having  for 

120 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

the  moment  deprived  her  of  her  usual  fluent 
speech. 

Peter  lowered  himself  cautiously  into  the  prof- 
fered seat,  and,  after  depositing  his  hat  on  the 
floor,  he  spread  a  hand  like  a  five-pronged  pin- 
cushion out  on  each  knee  and  stared  at  the  little 
woman,  who  had  retreated  behind  the  stove  as 
might  some  ancient  and  dingy  bird  seeking  shelter 
after  having  hopped  for  a  moment  from  its  roost. 

"  Sure  now,  Mistress  Banny,  and  'tis  a  bit  of 
business  that  I  have  come  to  see  ye  about  this 
morning,"  boomed  Peter,  his  big  voice  filling  the 
tiny  room  and  spreading  out  into  the  next,  where 
the  little  Bannys  were  all  gathered  in  an  agitated 
group  as  close  to  the  half-open  door  as  they  could 
get  without  rolling  bodily  in  upon  the  visitor. 

Mrs.  Banny  wiped  her  nose  on  the  dust  cloth 
and  snuffled.  "  If  it  ain't  done  as  you'd  care  for 
it  to  be  did,  Mr.  Flannigan,  I'll  be  real  pleased  to 
begin  all  over  again  and  do  it  as  you'd  like  it,"  she 
said. 

"Eh?  "said  Peter  blankly. 

'  Yes,  Sir,"  intoned  Mrs.  Banny,  coming  out 
from  behind  the  stove  a  little  way.  "  Just  you 
say  how  you'll  have  it  did,  and  I'll  clean  you  all 

121 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

over  again  from  top  to  bottom,  winders  and  floors, 
walls  and  ceiling,  whenever  you  are  pleased  to 
have  me  come." 

"  Ah,"  said  Peter,  as  he  caught  the  drift  of  Mrs. 
Banny's  remarks.  "  Sure  now,  and  the  room  is  as 
right  as  you  please!  Ye  keep  it  as  clean  as  wax 
all  the  time  and  I've  never  yet  had  cause  for  com- 
plaint. I  have  come  to  see  ye  about  something 
else, —  to  consult  ye  on  a  real  important  bit  of 
business.  I'll  just  begin  by  asking  ye,  Mistress 
Banny,  do  ye  be  after  having  a  family?  "  Peter's 
big  voice  lowered  impressively,  and  he  leaned  for- 
ward in  the  creaking  chair  at  a  dangerous  angle. 

His  conversation  with  Sis  on  the  stairs  had  given 
him  certain  clear  impressions  regarding  the  Banny 
family,  but  Peter  had  arranged  the  opening  of  the 
interview  before  he  left  the  store  and  he  had  no 
intention  of  wasting  what  he  considered  a  fine  be- 
ginning. 

Mrs.  Banny  looked  up  from  the  plait  she  was 
folding  in  her  black  calico  skirt,  with  the  pathetic 
weariness  in  her  eyes  sometimes  seen  in  those  of 
an  over-worked  animal.  With  the  little  caretaker 
tiredness  was  as  chronic  as  her  cold,  as  much  a 
part  of  her  as  her  snuffle,  so  before  replying  she  sat 

122 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

down  upon  an  up-turned  cracker  box.  '  Yes,  Sir, 
Mr.  Flannigan, —  thirteen  there  was  in  all,  count- 
ing the  four  we've  laid  away,  and  the  last  two  sets 
of  'em  as  came  in  pairs." 

"  Oh,"  said  Peter,  "  I  see."  He  didn't  see  at 
all,  but  as  Mrs.  Banny's  remarks  always  left  her 
hearers  suspended  in  the  air,  with  their  mental 
heels  kicking,  Peter  thought  he  would  see  in  a 
minute.  While  he  waited  for  illumination,  his  big 
fingers  drumming  on  his  knees,  it  dawned  upon  him 
that  for  the  first  time  he  regarded  Mrs.  Banny  as 
an  individual.  Before  she  had  merely  been  an 
object  dimly  outlined  in  his  consciousness,  but  this 
morning  Peter  had  astonished  himself  several  times 
by  striking  the  personal  plane.  While  Mrs.  Banny 
searched  for  the  conversational  thread  she  had 
let  fall,  he  realized  that  he  had  never  really 
seen  her  until  that  moment.  She  had  cared  for 
his  room  for  several  years,  but  never  before 
had  he  been  conscious  of  how  meager  she 
was,  how  much  like  a  spoon  was  the  general  out- 
line of  her  figure,  the  front  of  her  being  contracted 
and  hollow,  the  shoulders  rounded  and  stooped. 
Her  scanty  gray  hair  was  drawn  so  tightly  back 
from  her  thin  face  it  pulled  the  skin  up  in  little 

123 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

points  that  made  Peter's  eyes  water  sympathetic- 
ally when  he  noticed  them.  A  chronic  cold  in  the 
head  lent  an  unbecoming  pink  to  her  long,  dejected 
nose  that  drooped  at  the  end  as  though  peering 
over  the  constantly-moving  pucker  into  which  her 
toothless  mouth  was  drawn  in  anxious  search  for 
the  meek,  little  chin  that  had  receded  almost  en- 
tirely from  view. 

'  Yes,  Sir,"  resumed  Mrs.  Banny,  interrupting 
Peter's  study  of  her  dim  features.  She  had  been 
perched  nervously  on  the  edge  of  the  cracker  box, 
but  as  she  spoke  she  edged  far  back  and  settled 
herself  comfortably,  with  a  tired  sigh.  "  It  was 
just  as  I  told  you,  Mr.  Flannigan,  but  Mr.  Banny 
didn't  take  real  kind  to  the  sets.  He  said  it  wasn't 
exactly  fair  in  the  Almighty  to  be  a  doubling  up 
on  poor  folks  like  that,  especially  when  they  had 
already  suffered  an  infliction  of  children  like  we 
had." 

"  Ah,  I  see,"  nodded  Peter.  "  And  your  fam- 
ily now,  Mistress  Banny?  Does  it  run  to  boys  or 
to  girls,  may  I  ask?  "  Peter  glanced  towards  the 
door,  outside  of  which  he  had  left  Jinks  sitting  on 
the  step,  and  his  wide  chest  expanded.  "  Meself, 
now,  'tis  boys  I  be  after  having  a  liking  for." 

124 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

"  Ours  is  mixed,"  said  Mrs.  Banny,  again  wip- 
ing her  nose  on  the  dust  cloth.  "  But  Mr.  Banny 
was  like  you,  Mr.  Flannigan,  he  always  took  to 
boys.  '  Boys,'  said  he,  '  you've  got,  but  girls  you 
ain't  so  sure  of.'  For  my  part,  though,  my  taste 
has  always  run  to  girls,  for  I  look  on  them  as  a 
kind  of  prospect." 

"  Ah,"  Peter's  mind  backed  off  cautiously,  its 
ear  cocked  for  the  word  that  would  give  a  clew  as 
to  just  where  Mrs.  Banny  was  heading  conversa- 
tionally. 

"  Yes,  Sir,  I've  always  considered  girls  as  a  pros- 
pect. They  may  marry,  you  see,  Mr.  Flannigan. 
Though  as  Mr.  Banny  said, —  *  Sally,  they  mayn't, 
so  it's  a  prospect  that  works  back'ards  as  well  as 
for'ards.'  " 

"  And  Mr.  Banny  now, —  er  —  I  —  hope  he  is 
—  doing  well,  Mistress  Banny?  " 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Flannigan,  and  I'm  sure  I 
do  hope  he  is,  though  as  things  are,  we  just  never 
can  tell  about  it  for  certain." 

"  To  be  sure,"  agreed  Peter. 

"  That's  it,"  said  Mrs.  Banny.  "  You  see,  he 
was  took  off  real  sudden  last  year  from  setting  on 
top  of  a  heister  his  gift  was  a-working  out  in." 

125 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  A-a-a  er  —  hoister  ?  "  asked  Peter. 

"  Yes,  Sir,  a  heister.  Mr.  Banny  was  a  heister 
by  trade  on  account  of  his  gift.  His  mind  had 
always  turned  to  heisters  from  the  time  he  run  an 
elevator  when  he  was  young  until  five  year  ago 
when  he  took  to  making  'em  himself.  He  was 
real  gifted,  Mr.  Banny  was,  and  the  first  heister 
he  thought  out  was  for  sending  windows  up.  It 
worked  just  beautiful,  for  it  run  each  window  we 
had  to  the  top  so  hard  every  pane  of  glass  was 
smashed  and  I  had  to  buy  new  ones.  But,  as  Mr. 
Banny  said  to  me, — '  Sally,  it  was  made  to  heist 
and  heist  it  did.'  The  next  thing  his  gift  broke 
out  in  was  a  chair  bottom  that  heisted.  The  first 
one  to  set  in  the  chair  it  was  hitched  to  was  Mr. 
Clifford  from  Park  Avenue  church.  He  felt  he 
had  what  he  said  was  a  *  call '  to  come  among  us 
here  in  Paradise  Alley  every  week  and  pray.  He 
never  came  to  our  rooms  no  more  after  the  time  he 
set  in  that  chair,  which  Mr.  Banny  said  stood  to 
reason  he  wouldn't,  since  he  was  heisted  straight 
over  the  back,  and  as  he  weighed  more'n  two  hun- 
dred the  shook-up  he  got  was  a  most  considerable 
one.  I  was  real  glad  about  it,  though,  if  it  kept 
him  away,  for  Mr.  Clifford  sure  was  depressing 

126 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

to  my  feelings.  According  to  him  it  was  church 
regular,  or  hell  certain  for  us,  and  as  the  one  meant 
clothes  which  we  didn't  have  to  speak  of,  it  just 
plainly  left  us  for  the  other  place  where  they  ain't, 
so  to  speak,  needed  special.  I  don't  have  no  time 
to  hunt  regular  pray  places,  Mr.  Flannigan.  I 
just  have  to  kinder  live  with  my  prayers  as  I  go, 
for  most  generally  I'm  that  tired  I  can't  say  'em 
proper,  no  matter  where  I'm  at.  Anyway  the  Al- 
mighty is  a-looking  out  for  the  do  a  sight  more 
than  He  is  for  the  kneel,  and  I  guess  them  as  have 
a  broom  pushing  'em  along  rises  as  fast  as  them 
that  goes  up  to  the  creaking  of  knee  joints." 

"  Sure  now,  Mistress  Banny,  and  I  agree  with 
ye  right  there.  'Tis  meself  that  believes  in  the 
doing  of  things  as  we  go  along,  a  sight  more  than 
I  do  in  the  saying  of  'em." 

Mrs.  Banny  snuffled.  "  So  do  I,  Mr.  Flanni- 
gan, but  Mr.  Clifford's  religion  wasn't  that  kind. 
His  was  the  sort  that  settles  in  the  nose  special. 
It  made  him  cry  real  hard  every  time  he  talked 
about  it  to  us  here  in  the  Alley.  It  sure  did  look 
pious,  I'll  say  that  much  for  it,  but  the  feel  of  it 
wasn't,  for  he  always  acted  like  his  soul  was  a  lift- 
ing up  its  ruffled  petticoats  to  keep  'em  out  of  Par- 
is; 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

adise  Alley  mud."  Mrs.  Banny's  facial  twist  was 
that  of  one  holding  her  spiritual  nose  and  backing 
off  from  an  unsavory  odor. 

Peter  Flannigan  nodded  his  big,  gray  head,  a 
new  thoughtfulness  in  his  keen  eyes, —  a  new  ex- 
pression softening  his  rugged  face.  "  And  sure 
now,  Mistress  Banny,  there  do  be  a  lot  of  mud 
here  in  Paradise  Alley,  and  I'm  a  thinking  that 
most  of  it  is  the  kind  that  has  a  powerful  ability  to 
stick." 

Mrs.  Banny's  meek  little  face  was  raised 
quickly, —  there  came  a  sudden  flash  of  under- 
standing in  her  faded  eyes.  "  You  are  right  about 
that,  Mr.  Flannigan.  And  it  ain't  no  sign  that  it 
ain't  there  because  we  ain't  always  a-seeing  of  it 
clear,  either." 

Again  Peter  nodded.  He  grasped  Mrs.  Ban- 
ny's meaning,  though,  as  usual,  she  had  backed 
her  way  straight  through  what  she  had  to  say. 
"  And  I  have  come  to  see  ye  this  very  morning, 
Mistress  Banny,  to  ask  ye  to  lend  me  a  bit  of  aid 
in  removing  some  of  this  same  Paradise  Alley  mud 
from  the  outside  of  a  boy  I've  found.  Jinks  is 
his  name, —  as  pesky  a  little  imp  as  ever  stepped, 
but  sure,  now,  I  do  be  after  believing  that  all  the 

128 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

boy  needs  to  keep  clean,  both  inside  and  out,  is  a 
bit  of  a  chance." 

Mrs.  Banny's  dim  face  lighted.  A  motherly 
gleam  came  into  her  eyes,  blotting  out  for  the  mo- 
ment their  pathetic  tiredness.  "  All  many  of  'em 
needs,  Mr.  Flannigan,  is  just  the  chance,  though 
I'll  say  this, —  that  that  is  just  the  one  thing  the 
children  in  Paradise  Alley  seldom  gets.  Jinks  has 
lived  all  his  life  nowhere  in  particular,  growing 
up  without  no  special  place  that  could  give  him 
what  you  might  call  a  pull.  Mr.  Banny  used  to 
say, — '  Give  'em  a  special  place  to  stay  in,  Sally, 
for  that  makes  'em  feel  a  real  hard  back'ard  and 
up'ard  pull,  and  as  long  as  they  feel  them  two  pulls 
they  ain't  going  at  no  spanking  pace  to  the  devil.' 
And  that's  why  I've  tried  to  keep  ours  all  to- 
gether, excepting  the  four  we  laid  away,  and  even 
they  rest  side  by  each." 

"  It  must  keep  ye  busy,  Mistress  Banny,  caring 
for  such  a  lot,"  said  Peter,  genuine  interest  in  both 
face  and  voice.  He  was  getting  a  glimpse  into  a 
side  of  life  he  had  never  even  glanced  at  before 
and  its  power  as  a  thought  producer  was  beyond 
anything  that  Peter  had  ever  experienced.  Here- 
tofore his  outlook  on  life  had  been  conditioned  by 

129 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

self  alone.  This  morning,  though,  it  had  sud- 
denly expanded,  and  was  taking  on  dimensions  that 
left  the  big  storekeeper  mentally  pop-eyed  and 
open-mouthed.. 

"  It  do  keep  me  busy,  Mr.  Flannigan,  and  try 
as  I  do  the  pull  place  is  all  I  can  manage,  with 
half  enough  clothes  to  pass  around  and, —  well  - 
not  anything  come  holidays  like  Christmas." 
Mrs.  Banny  turned  the  sigh  that  struggled  up 
from  within  her  narrow  chest  into  a  snuffle,  and 
wiped  her  nose.  A  chorus  of  breaths,  deep  and 
heavy  with  sorrow,  were  at  once  discharged 
through  the  half-open  door  that  led  into  the  room 
where  the  little  Bannys  were  congregated. 

These  dismal  gusts  penetrated  Peter's  ear  with 
a  force  that  produced  a  pain  almost  physical.  He 
moved  uneasily  in  the  creaky  chair.  The  utter 
bareness  of  the  neat  little  room,  the  scantiness  of 
Mrs.  Banny's  attire,  Sis's  tragic  story  of  the  empty 
bags,  all  unexpectedly  burrowed  together  into 
Peter  in  a  manner  that  caused  a  queer  feeling  of 
personal  guilt  to  grip  him  tight  somewhere  deep 
down  in  his  interior. 

Suddenly  his  eyes  brightened.  "  Ah, —  there 
do  be  places  here  in  the  city,  Mistress  Banny,  where 

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JINKS'        INSIDE 

large,  well-filled  Christmas  baskets  are  given  out  to 
all  who, — "  Peter  paused,  checked  by  something 
in  Mrs.  Banny's  face. 

Her  invisible  chin  suddenly  emerged  from  ob- 
scurity and  became  almost  prominent.  From  her 
dim  eyes  there  came  more  than  the  suggestion  of  a 
flash.  "  I  take  it  real  kind  the  way  you  mean, 
Mr.  Flannigan,"  said  she,  speaking  with  a  certain 
dignity  that  was  in  no  wise  diminished  by  her 
crouched-up  position  on  the  cracker  box.  "  But 
we  have  our  pride,  even  if  we  ain't,  so  to  speak, 
got  nothing  else  to  cover  us  with.  Some  folks 
can  go  to  them  places, —  but  me  and  mine  can't. 
I'm  a-trying  real  hard  to  raise  'em  up  human  crit- 
ters, Mr.  Flannigan,  instead  of  beggars,  even  if  I 
have  suffered  such  an  infliction  of  'em." 

"  I  see,  Mistress  Banny,  I  see,"  floundered  Peter, 
his  mind  backing  off  with  the  feeling  that  it  had 
forced  an  entrance  into  a  sacred  place.  "  Sure, 
now,  and  I  was  but  thinking  that  may  be  — "  he 
paused  helplessly,  too  honest  to  cover  his  retreat 
with  an  empty  platitude,  and  too  embarrassed  to 
go  on. 

"  Yes,  Sir,  I  see  that  you  do  see  real  plain, 
though  there's  many  as  don't,  Mr.  Flannigan," 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

intoned  Mrs.  Banny,  wiping  her  nose.  "  And 
then  if  I  do  have  to  work  hard,  it  makes  a  differ- 
ence when  it's  for  your  own." 

"  I  understand,  Mistress  Banny,  I  understand 
that  well,  Ma'am,"  boomed  Peter,  swelling  proudly 
as  he  glanced  again  toward  the  door.  "  It  does 
make  a  power  of  difference  to  us  when  'tis  for  our 
own!  I'll  certainly  say  that,  ma'am!" 

"  Yes,  Sir,  and,  as  I  said,  I  try  to  keep  the  chil- 
dren together  the  best  I  can,  so's  they  can  feel  the 
pull  give  'em  by  a  place  to  stay  in  regular,  even 
if  it  do  be  but  a  poor  one.  I  work  hard  and  con- 
stant to  keep  'em  the  place,  for  the  pull  was  all 
their  dear  pa  had  to  leave  'em,  him  being  took  off 
unexpected,  and  not  looking  to  go  any  time 
soon." 

"  Sure  now  and  'tis  glad  I  am  to  see  ye  able 
to  bear  up  so  bravely  under  such  a  loss,"  said  Peter. 
14  I  trust,  ma'am,  that  his  —  er  —  Mr.  Banny's 
end  —  was  what  ye  might  call  —  er  —  peace- 
ful?" 

'  Yes,  Sir,  though  some  noisy,  as  should  be  ex- 
pected, seeing  he  died  of  a  heist  that  went  off  too 
soon,  and  knocked  a  hole  in  the  wall.  Mr.  Banny 
was  blowed  right  straight  through  the  hole,  which 

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JINKS'        INSIDE 

stood  to  reason  he  would  be,  Mr.  Flannigan,  see- 
ing he  made  it  himself  when  he  hit." 

"  What  a-a-a-a  pity !  "  gasped  Peter,  speaking 
with  difficulty. 

"  Well,  now,  I  don't  know  about  that,"  said 
Mrs.  Banny,  a  new  and  totally  unexpected  anima- 
tion in  her  face  and  manner.  "  It  was  like  the 
girls  being  a  prospect  that  worked  both  ways, — 
back'ards  and  for'ards.  It  do  seem  a  pity  Mr. 
Banny  never  knowed  what  hit  him,  for  he  sure 
would  have  been  tickled  about  how  lovely  his  heis- 
ter  worked,  and  it  only  half  done,  too!  If  it  had 
been  finished  it  likely  would  have  blowed  him  right 
straight  through  the  roof  as  easy  as  not,  there's 
just  no  telling !  But  then  it's  a  comfort  to  know 
that  when  he  started  for  the  other  world  he  had  a 
good  heist  behind  him  to  keep  him  a-going.  He 
never  took  kind  to  heaven  somehow, —  said  it  was 
real  depressing  to  him  to  think  about  it,  for  seeing 
he  never  had  had  no  chance  in  this  world  to  even 
learn  plain  reading  and  writing,  how  could  he  have 
time  for  such  fancy  steps  as  harping?  And  sup- 
pose one  was  passed  to  him  as  soon  as  he  lit,  and 
him  a  stranger,  too?  Why,  he'd  be  just  disgraced 
so  he  never  could  hold  up  his  head  again  before 

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JINKS'        INSIDE 

all  the  saints,  for  he  didn't  know  one  string  from 
another ! 

"  I  always  saw  he  was  set  hard  in  his  mind 
against  going  there,  so  I've  been  real  pleased  he 
got  started  off  with  a  good  heist.  I  hope  constant 
he  hit  Heaven's  gate  before  he  knew  just  where 
he  was  heading,  for  if  he'd  found  out  in  time  he'd 
surely  a-turned.  I  know  he  would,  for  besides 
the  harping  he  just  couldn't  abide  being  worked 
over  into  a  angel.  He  said  not  being  born  a  bird 
of  the  air  he  couldn't  see  it  clear  to  feeling  right 
dressed  in  feathers." 

"  Angels, —  er  —  don't  they  be  only  after  wear- 
ing wings?"  ventured  Peter,  whose  ideas  regard- 
ing celestial  fashions  were  decidedly  hazy. 

Mrs.  Banny  brightened  perceptibly.  "  Now, 
ain't  that  just  what  I  used  to  tell  Mr.  Banny !  I 
used  to  tell  him  constant  not  to  be  a-worrying  about 
such  things  as  wings  and  feathers,  that  there'd  be 
time  enough  for  that  when  he  got  there,  and  that 
maybe  anyway  there  wouldn't  be  nothing  but  the 
wings !  But  it  wasn't  no  good, —  Mr.  Banny  was 
a  mighty  proper  feeling  and  acting  man,  and  he 
just  swore  he  wasn't  going  traipsing  about  the 
Golden  Street  in  his  skin  without  a  stitch  on  but 

134 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

wings,  and  them  hitched  behind  where  he  couldn't 
even  get  the  comfort  of  seeing  'em!  I  always 
tried  to  scatter  my  worries,  shed  'em  like,  same's 
a  hen  do  her  feathers,  but  poor  Mr.  Banny,  he 
just  would  roll  his  up  in  a  thorn  ball  to  set  on." 

Peter's  broad  shoulders  shook  so  convulsively 
that  the  small  chair  he  was  sitting  in  creaked  and 
groaned  in  protest.  He  drew  forth  a  brilliant  silk 
bandanna  and  blew  his  nose  like  a  trumpet.  Mrs. 
Banny  at  once  began  polishing  hers  with  the  dust 
cloth. 

"  Ah, —  and  the  boy  now,  Mistress  Banny, — 
the  boy  Jinks,  ma'am.  Will  ye  be  after  scrubbing 
him  down  a  bit  as  he  needs  and  a-trimming  him  up, 
as  a  boy  should  be  trimmed?"  Peter  spoke  in 
subdued  tones. 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  pleased  to  do  him  up  and  down 
both,  I'll  surely  be,"  said  Mrs.  Banny,  her  faded 
face  lighting  up  with  interest  as  she  moved  for- 
ward to  perch  upon  the  edge  of  her  box.  "  And 
when  would  you  like  for  him  to  be  done,  Mr.  Flan- 
nigan?  " 

"  Right  away,  Ma'am.  He's  waiting  just  with- 
out the  door,  yonder  on  the  steps,  talking  to  that 
little  demon  in  petticoats, —  Sis." 

135 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Mrs.  Banny  shook  her  head,  mild  protest  in  her 
dim  eyes.  "  You've  only  seen  a  part  of  her  as  yet, 
Mr.  Flannigan,  for  Sis  is  both  in'ard  and  out'ard, 
and  she  works  all  her  different  ways  real  hard. 
She  surely  is  a  terror  sometimes,  though  it  ain't 
more  than  skin  deep,  so  to  speak,  and  will  brush 
off,  but  the  good's  heart  deep,  grew  in,  you  might 
say,  and  that's  something  mighty  likely  to  stick." 

Peter  frowned.  "  Sure,  then,  and  'tis  meself 
that  has  only  run  into  the  outside  of  her  as  yet," 
said  he,  reaching  for  his  hat. 

"  The  rest's  there,"  insisted  Mrs.  Banny.  "  You 
just  ain't,  so  to  speak,  scratched  Sis  deep  enough 
to  find  out  what  kind  of  a  body  she  really  is. 
She's  got  a  power  of  Paradise  Alley  mud  clinging 
to  her  out'ardly,  as  it  stands  to  reason  she  would 
have,  but  she's  like  the  potato  that  growed  in  the 
earth.  It's  white  inside  once  you  get  off  the  knots 
and  the  knobs  and  you'll  find  Sis  the  same  way, 
for  there  ain't  a  mite  of  the  dirt  got  to  her 
in'ardly." 

Peter  nodded  his  head  as  he  arose  to  his  feet, 
but  said  nothing.  Sis  as  good  in  any  way  was 
such  an  entirely  new  proposition  to  him  that  he 
felt  he  would  require  some  time  to  grasp  it. 

136 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Mrs.  Banny  got  up  off  the  cracker  box,  wiping 
her  rosy  nose  carefully  on  the  dust  cloth.  She 
still  clutched  the  broom  in  her  other  hand.  "  I'll 
do  him  the  best  I  can,  Mr.  Flannigan,  both  scrub- 
bing and  trimming,"  she  said,  taking  one  of  her 
conversational  back-steps  to  Jinks. 

"  And  now  if  ye'll  just  be  telling  me  what  I  owe 
ye  for  the  job,  Mistress  Banny, — "  Peter's  big 
hand  paused,  its  journey  to  his  pocket  half  com- 
plete, checked  by  something  in  Mrs.  Banny's  face 
as  she  turned  to  him,  after  waving  back  the  bunch 
of  little  Banny  heads  that  were  suddenly  thrust 
inside  the  door. 

"  I  can't  no  way  make  a  charge  for  scrubbing  a 
child,  Mr.  Flannigan,  without  a  body  to  do  for 
him,  or  give  him  a  pull  as  well  as  trim  him. 
Floors  now  I  can  easy,  but  seeing  I've  had  an  in- 
fliction of  'em,  there  being  thirteen,  counting  the 
four  laid  away  and  the  two  sets  that  came  in 
pairs, — "  Mrs.  Banny  paused  and  shook  her  tight, 
gray  head  hopelessly,  the  idea  she  was  laboring 
after  lost  entirely  in  the  mist  of  her  own  words. 

Peter  beamed,  as  he  grasped  the  thought  that 
had  suddenly  escaped  from  the  little  caretaker. 
Mentally  he  took  off  his  hat  to  the  faded,  dingy 

137 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

woman  standing  by  the  cracker  box.  He  held 
out  a  huge  hand.  "  Sure  now,  and  I  thank  ye 
kindly,  Mistress  Banny,"  he  said  heartily.  "  And 
just  ye  scrub  and  shear  him  up  neat,  and  then 
come  ye  on  over  to  me  store  with  him  for  the 
covering  that  he  needs.  And  whist,  now !  Sure 
while  ye  are  there  we'll  just  be  after  trying  to  make 
some  of  Sis's  Santa  Claus  s'poses  come  true  in  the 
kids'  paper  bags,  Ma'am.  Good  day!" 

His  face  lobster-red  with  astonishment  at  the 
idea  that  had  suddenly  flown  straight  from  his 
heart  through  his  lips,  Peter  Flannigan  bolted  out 
the  door,  leaving  Mrs.  Banny  in  the  middle  of 
the  room  lost  in  a  joy-trance  that  deprived  her  of 
the  power  to  either  move  or  speak. 


138 


CHAPTER  EIGHT 

The  advent  of  a  boy  and  a  dog  simultaneously 
into  the  big  store  whose  rear  end  opened  into 
Paradise  Alley  had  ceased  to  be  a  matter  of  sur- 
prise to  Peter's  clerks  by  the  time  the  New  Year 
was  a  fortnight  old.  They  had  grown  accustomed 
to  seeing  the  red  and  the  brown  heads  bobbing 
about,  and  though  they  sometimes  wondered  what 
the  "  old  man  "  meant  to  do  with  the  odd  pair, 
they  did  not  voice  the  question.  Those  who 
worked  for  Peter  Flannigan  were  kept  too  busy  to 
have  much  time  for  idle  wonderings  about  his 
affairs  or  any  one  else's.  And  no  one  ever  asked 
Peter  about  his  own  concerns. 

As  for  Jinks  and  the  dog,  the  one  thought  some 
and  felt  a  great  deal  in  those  days,  and  the  other 
accepted  the  good  things  that  came  his  way  with  a 
grateful  politeness  that  kept  him  shaking  hands 
fully  half  his  time,  and  smiling  the  other. 

The  dog  grew  fatter  and  rounder  daily,  and 
Jinks  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  felt  the  weari- 

139 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

ness  that  had  held  him  in  its  grasp  for  ten  years 
slipping  away.  He  was  awakening  to  the  fact 
that  people  can  be  alive  as  well  as  exist.  His 
small  face  was  losing  its  worn,  aged  lines  and 
taking  on  youthful  curves,  and  he  had  learned  to 
laugh, —  a  sure  enough  child's  laugh  with  a  joyous 
lilt  in  it.  Peter  often  grinned  broadly  to  himself 
in  those  first  days  that  seemed  like  fairy-land  in- 
deed to  the  gutter  child,  for  his  Christmas  dream 
had  come  true  and  there  was  a  very  wicked  dimple 
beginning  to  show  plainly  in  Jinks'  chin. 

Peter  Flannigan  said  never  a  word  to  any  one 
about  what  he  meant  to  do  with  the  boy  who  had 
come  so  unexpectedly  into  his  life.  He  thought 
often  and  he  thought  long  on  the  subject,  but 
to  no  one  did  he  divulge  either  his  thoughts  or 
his  intentions. 

Jinks  was  warmly  clothed,  he  was  well  fed, 
and  he  was  also  trusted  absolutely.  That  the 
dark  times  had  ever  existed  in  which  he  had 
stolen  from  Peter  seemed  to  have  slipped  entirely 
from  both  his  mind  and  that  of  the  big  Irish- 
man the  night  he  came,  and  he  went  to  and  fro 
in  the  store,  admiring  this  or  looking  at  that  freely, 
and  with  no  more  feeling  of  constraint  than  had 

140 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

the  brown  dog  who  trotted  constantly  at  his 
heels. 

It  was  all  very  wonderful  to  Jinks,  but  the  best 
part  of  the  new  life  to  him  came  when  he  was 
sitting  in  the  big  chair  by  the  great  stove  in  the 
rear  of  the  store.  There  he  would  curl  up  in  a 
ball  among  the  gaily  flowered  cushions  and  listen 
to  the  jovial  roar  of  the  flames  while  he  basked  in 
the  splendid  heat  that  seemed  to  penetrate  all 
through  him,  and  of  which  he  never  tired,  or  had 
enough. 

There  was  one  thing  that  Jinks  and  the  brown 
dog  liked  even  better  than  prowling  about  the 
big  store  or  sitting  in  the  arm  chair  by  the  stove. 
That  was  trotting  at  Peter  Flannigan's  heels. 
Both  were  perfectly  happy  if  they  could  get  close 
to  the  man  who  had  been  so  wonderful  a  friend 
to  them.  An  unbreakable  bond  had  been  estab- 
lished between  Jinks  and  Peter  the  night  the  child 
had  sought  the  man  in  the  upper  room.  Then 
later  on  another  strong  tie  had  grown  up  between 
the  two. 

No  one  who  had  not  seen  the  inside  of  Peter 
Flannigan's  room  could  say  that  they  really  knew 
the  big  storekeeper.  Once  they  had  managed  to 

141 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

penetrate  into  his  happy  hunting  ground  above 
stairs,  the  gruff,  keen-eyed  man  became  quite  an- 
other person  to  them. 

Peter's  room  was  big,  with  a  high  ceiling  and 
fresh,  clean  paper  on  the  walls.  A  rug  of  rich, 
warm  reds  lay  on  the  floor,  and  the  furniture  was 
large  and  dark  and  massive,  built  on  very  much 
the  same  lines  that  Peter  was  himself.  Peter  had 
many  pictures  on  his  walls,  all  chosen  because  they 
had  appealed  to  him.  Some  were  good,  none  were 
bad,  and  all  in  some  silent  way  made  those  who 
looked  at  them  know  that  they  hung  in  the  room 
of  a  person  who  was  clean, — not  only  physically, 
but  mentally  and  morally  as  well. 

There  were  big,  comfortable  chairs  in  Peter's 
room  and  a  wide,  cushion-strewn  couch,  and  a 
mighty  table.  Strange  to  say  the  table  was  piled 
high  with  books  and  magazines;  and  almost  all  the 
books  were  volumes  of  poems.  He  had  little  edu- 
cation —  as  text-book  knowledge  goes, —  but 
Peter  loved  these  things  with  a  great  love,  even 
though  he  could  not  understand  them.  So  he  had 
them  about  him. 

All  the  things  in  the  room,  both  large  and  small, 
gave  the  few  people  who  ever  saw  them  a  new 

142 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

view  of  the  hard-headed,  hard-handed  storekeeper. 
But  the  thing  that  was  the  crowning  glory  of  the 
apartment,  and  that  spoke  loudest  of  the  inner  side 
of  Peter  Flannigan,  was  the  violin  that  lay  on  a 
stand  close  by  the  big  window.  It  was  a  small, 
dark  instrument,  and  the  name  would  have  made 
the  eyes  of  any  musician  gleam.  Piled  in  heaps 
beside  it  on  the  stand  were  sheets  of  music,  then 
they  overflowed  upon  the  floor,  and  filled  a  large 
rack  that  hung  close  by  on  the  wall. 

And  that  little  dark  violin  was  the  dearest  thing 
in  life  to  Peter  Flannigan.  He  played  with  some 
skill,  and  all  through  the  dreary  drudgery  of  his 
childhood,  the  hard  toil  of  his  later  years,  music 
had  been  the  one  bright  and  tender  spot  that 
weariness  and  heart  hunger  and  aching  bones  had 
never  managed  to  beat  out  of  him.  He  went  to 
hear  the  best  musicians  that  came  to  the  city,  and 
when  all  the  people  about  him  were  asleep,  Peter 
took  out  his  violin.  He  played  when  he  was 
weary,  and  he  became  rested.  He  played  when 
he  was  lonely,  and  he  was  no  longer  alone.  He 
played  when  he  was  sad,  and  his  heart  lost  its 
heaviness.  It  was  the  one  great  and  perfect  thing 
that  life  had  brought  to  him.  It  brings  at  least 

143 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

one  to  all, —  and  Peter  had  been  wise  enough  to 
recognize  and  claim  his. 

Peter  retired  early  one  night  shortly  after  Jinks 
came.  He  had  left  the  boy  curled  in  the  big  chair 
by  the  stove,  watching  the  red  glow  of  the  coals 
with  bright,  intent  eyes.  Peter  did  not  fall  asleep 
as  speedily  as  usual.  He  was  thinking  —  think- 
ing of  Jinks.  And  as  he  lay  thinking  of  Jinks,  up 
the  stairs  floated  a  sound  that  brought  Peter  Flan- 
nigan  skipping  out  of  bed  at  one  bound.  He  was 
clad  in  his  red  night  cap  and  his  flowing  yellow- 
flannel  nightie,  but  Peter  did  not  mind  that.  He 
went  to  the  head  of  the  stairs  and  leaned  silently 
over  —  listening.  Below  he  could  see  Jinks,  flat 
on  his  small  back  before  the  stove.  His  short  legs 
were  crossed,  his  hands  clasped  behind  his  flaming 
head, —  and  Jinks  was  singing, —  singing  with  all 
the  heart  and  all  the  soul  of  him!  Just  a  street 
song,  but  the  notes  came  pouring  from  the  boy's 
lips  with  a  sweetness  and  a  purity  that  made  the 
big  man  on  the  top  step  of  the  stairs  prance  with 
delight. 

Silently  Peter  slipped  back  into  his  room  and 
took  down  his  violin.  With  equal  silence  he  came 

back  and  sat  down  on  the  step.     Then  as  Jinks' 

144 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

voice  rose  again,  high  and  clear,  mingling  with  it 
wailed  the  strains  of  Peter's  violin.  The  boy 
glanced  up  with  a  start.  He  saw  the  grotesque 
figure  perched  above  him,  and  he  smiled  and 
nodded  in  quick  understanding.  The  violin  sent 
forth  a  note  of  more  than  human  sweetness  and 
power  —  the  boy  replied  with  a  tone  as  pure  and 
true  as  the  song  of  a  bird. 

That  was  the  beginning  of  a  very  wonderful  and 
a  very  beautiful  thing  to  Peter  and  Jinks.  Each 
night  they  had  their  little  concert,  and  each  night 
when  the  man  mounted  the  stairs,  leaving  the  boy 
curled  under  the  gray  blankets  in  the  kindling  box, 
the  good-night  glance  the  two  exchanged  held  a 
deeper  meaning, —  a  more  perfect  understanding. 

"  I  just  knowed  it  was  you  I  I  said  it  when  we 
saw  you  in  the  wagin  the  other  day  down  on  Proc- 
tor Street!  "  a  familiar  voice  shrilled  in  Jinks'  ears 
one  frosty  morning  not  long  after  the  New  Year's 
advent.  He  stood  on  the  step  of  the  rear  door 
watching  the  horse  for  Jake,  who  had  gone  inside. 

Jinks  started  and  looked  quickly  up  and  down 
the  Alley,  a  warm  thrill  going  all  through  him  at 
the  sound  of  the  well-known  tones.  At  first  he 

145 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

saw  no  one  —  then  on  the  other  side  of  the  big 
delivery  wagon  he  spied  Tommy  Bates. 

"  We  been  looking  for  you  everywhere,  and 
guessed  you'd  run  off,  or  else  got  put  in  the  jail  1  " 
said  Tommy,  his  black  head  and  impudent  face 
peering  cautiously  around  under  the  sorrel  horse's 
long  Roman  nose. 

"  Hello,  Tommy !  "  cried  Jinks,  his  freckled 
face  one  broad  and  beaming  grin.  He  became 
suddenly  aware  that  he  was  very,  very  glad  indeed 
to  see  Tommy  Bates,  that  the  heart  of  him  had 
been  simply  aching  for  a  glimpse  of  this  old 
friend's  round  face  and  merry  eyes. 

"  Oh,  hookey !  Will  you  but  come  and  take 
a  look  at  him !  "  cried  the  grinning  Tommy.  He 
came  out  from  behind  the  sorrel  horse,  and  sent  a 
ringing  "  Hi,  there  !  "  echoing  down  the  Alley.  In 
immediate  response  Toney  and  Bud  both  came  run- 
ning from  their  shelter  in  a  near-by  doorway. 
The  Brotherhood  had  evidently  gathered  with  the 
full  intent  of  interviewing  their  youngest  member. 

"  Oh,  but  look  at  the  sport,  will  you !  "  shrilled 
Toney.  "  Did  you  ever  see  the  like  of  his  new 
shoes!  Whole  ones  with  not  a  toe  sticking  out! 
Not  so  much  as  one  end  even  a-showing !  Oh,  my, 

146 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

will  you  take  another  look  at  him!  Josh's  Jinks 
with  a  white  collar  around  his  throat!  " 

"  Shut  up !  "  stormed  Jinks,  his  face  growing 
crimson  with  rage.  "  If  you  don't  shut  up,  Toney 
Little,  I'll  jump  right  slap-bang  on  you  and  blodgy 
your  nose  same's  I  did  John  Preston's!  " 

"  Aw-w-w !  Listen  to  him,  will  you !  Old 
Peter  Flannigan's  pretty  boy!  Oh,  my  eye!" 
jeered  Toney  shrilly. 

"  You  let  him  be,  can't  you?  "  snarled  Tommy,, 
giving  Toney  a  sharp  poke  in  the  ribs  with  his  fist. 
He  sidled  around  the  horse's  head  towards  Jinks, 
one  wicked  black  eye  on  the  door.  "  I  say,  Jinks, 
how  did  you  do  it,  eh  ?  —  work  him,  the  old  boy, 
you  know?  What  did  you  do  to  get  on  the 
soft  side  of  him,  and  make  him  treat  you  so 
white?" 

"  I  never  done  nothing,  cross-my-heart,  Tommy, 
honest  I  didn't !  "  retorted  Jinks,  his  face  red,  his 
eyes  filled  with  a  stormy  light.  He  felt  suddenly 
shamed  and  humiliated.  He  had  loved  Tommy 
Bates  and  had  admired  Toney  Little.  He  had 
been  surprised  himself  at  how  glad  he  was  to  see 
the  one's  black  eyes,  the  other's  long,  thin  face. 
And  now  Toney  mocked  him,  and  Tommy  openly 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

hinted  that  he  was  a  fraud  and  a  sneak !     Indigna- 
tion seethed  hot  within  him. 

"  Never  done  nothing !  "  grinned  Toney,  peer- 
ing across  the  horse's  back  at  the  boy  on  the  step, 
while  Tommy  retired  again  to  his  shelter  behind 
the  wagon.  "  We  know  you,  Jinks, —  we  know 
good  and  well  you've  done  sneaked  it  somehow 
over  the  old  boy, —  I  did  think,  though,  you  would 
have  told  us  and  let  us  in  on  it  too  1  " 

"  I  ain't  a  sneak  1  "  Jinks  cried,  leaping  nimbly 
out  into  the  Alley  and  whirling  around  the  wagon 
toward  Toney  like  a  small  tornado.  "  I  ain't 
-I  ain't  —  I  ain't  1  Am  I,  Sis?"  Sis  at  that 
moment  came  around  the  corner  that  led  into  the 
street.  Feeling  rather  than  seeing  the  storm  in  the 
atmosphere,  she  had  bared  her  thin  arms  for  ac- 
tion as  she  approached. 

"  I  don't  know  what  it  is  you  ain't,  but  I'll  help 
you  prove  it,  and  make  'em  say  you  ain't  even  if 
you  arc,  and  you  are  if  you  ain't!  "  she  offered 
obligingly.  She  ran  around  the  wagon  as  she 
spoke  in  time  to  see  Toney  retreating  towards  the 
end  of  it,  Jinks  following  him,  his  fists  going  in  a 
business-like  fashion  that  seemed  to  have  gotten  on 
the  older  boy's  nerves. 

148 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  I  say,  Jinks, —  you  and  Sis  are  sech  awful 
scrappers  a  fellow  just  can't  even  talk  to  you !  " 
snarled  Toney,  still  backing  around  the  wagon 
with  Jinks  and  Sis  both  dogging  his  heels. 

"  Aw,  come  on !  Stop  your  fighting  and  tell 
us  about  the  old  man,"  broke  in  Tommy.  He  was 
standing  on  tip-toe  gazing  in  the  wagon  with  lively 
curiosity  on  his  dark,  impish  face.  "  What's  he 
did  for  you,  Jinks,  anyway?" 

Jinks'  fists  at  once  became  hands  and  dropped 
into  his  jacket  pockets.  His  face  took  on  a  broad 
and  beaming  grin  at  Tommy's  openly  expressed 
interest  in  Peter  Flannigan.  "  He's  a  plum  good 
fellow,  that's  what  Mr.  Flannigan  is,  Tommy. 
He  found  me  out  here  behind  the  barrel  with  the 
dog  and  he  warmed  us  by  his  stove  and  give  us  a 
lot  to  eat  —  me  and  the  dog  both, —  cross-my- 
heart  he  did,  boys." 

"  He  did,"  nodded  Sis,  folding  her  bare  arms 
in  her  skirt  to  keep  them  warm.  "  He  just  ever- 
lastingly did,  and  if  either  of  you  say  he  didn't 
I'll  knock  you  both  skitterwise!  So  there  now, 
what  you  got  to  say?  " 

"  He  filled  up  the  little  Bannys'  paper  bags 
too,"  piped  Jinks,  his  face  growing  so  bright  that 

149 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

Toney  and  Tommy  both  stood  staring  at  him  in 
open-mouthed  wonder.  "  Cross-my-heart,  boys, 
if  he  didn't  fill  'em  all  full  to  busting  with  Sis's 
beautifullest  s'poses.  Every  last  one  of  'em  1  " 

"  He  did,"  corroborated  Sis  again,  nodding  her 
shock  of  black  elf-locks.  "  And  Maudine's  that 
uppety  about  hers  on  account  of  her  being  cross- 
eyed and  seeing  'em  all  double  that  I've  had  to 
trim  her  down  three  times." 

Tommy  sighed  enviously.  "  I  wishes  I  was 
you,  Jinks, —  or  the  dog,  or  the  Bannys.  I'd  like 
to  be  even  Maudine  and  see  things  twice,  and 
maybe  get  enough  one  time, —  cross-my-heart  I 
would."  Tommy  glanced  down  at  his  rags  and 
shivered.  Then  he  looked  at  the  plain,  warm  suit 
Jinks  wore  and  sighed. 

Jinks  shivered,  too,  when  he  looked  at  Tommy, 
then  he  also  sighed,  all  the  way  from  the  bottom 
of  his  heart  when  Tommy  looked  at  him.  The 
sigh  got  caught  in  the  middle  by  something  that 
turned  it  unexpectedly  into  an  explosive  choke. 
The  day  was  bitter  cold,  and  Tommy  Bates  was 
quite  as  ragged  as  Jinks  had  been  less  than  a 
month  before. 

"  I  say,  Tommy,  are  you  —  are  you  —  so  awful 
150 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

cold?"  Jinks  knew,  but  the  words  came  from 
his  lips  of  their  own  volition. 

As  Jinks  spoke,  Tommy  Bates'  face  grew  sharp 
and  lined.  Bitter  scorn  shot  from  his  black  eyes. 
"  Are  you  cold,  Tommy !  "  he  mocked,  his  voice 
hard  and  shrill.  "  Oh,  no,  my  dear,  not  a  bit ! 
I'm  as  warm  as  toast!  My  toes  are  frosted  and 
my  body's  blue,  that's  all!  But  I'm  suffering 
from  too  much  heat,  thanky." 

"I  —  I  didn't  mean  to  make  you  mad,  Tommy, 
honest  Injun,  I  didn't !  "  said  Jinks,  shivering  in- 
side his  warm  coat  as  he  looked  at  the  boys  before 
him.  He  had  been  so  proud  of  his  new  clothes, 
but  now  when  Toney  and  Bud  and  Tommy  stared 
at  them  with  such  envy  in  their  eyes,  and  spoke  of 
them  with  such  bitterness  in  their  voices,  he  wished 
from  the  very  bottom  of  his  heart  he  had  on  his 
rags. 

"  I  say,  boys, — "  Jinks7  face  suddenly  bright- 
ened with  the  advent  of  a  new  idea  into  his  mind. 
"  Mr.  Flannigan'll  let  you  come  in  and  get  warm 
by  his  big  stove, —  Tommy, —  Toney,  come  on ! 
I  just  know  he  will !  "  he  cried  eagerly.  It  sud- 
denly seemed  to  Jinks  a  thing  too  terrible  to  be 
borne,  that  any  one  should  be  as  near  frozen  as 

151 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

he  knew  Tommy  Bates  was.  It  brought  back 
all  the  agony  of  cold  and  hunger  he  had  known  so 
short  a  time  before. 

Tommy  giggled.  Toney  sneered.  Bud  groan- 
ed. 

"  Come  on;  do,  my  dears!  He'll  let  you  come 
in!  Do  but  listen  to  the  pretty  boy!  Oh,  my 
eye !  Old  Flannigan's  little  curly  darling !  "  jeered 
Tommy.  His  laugh  made  Jinks'  face  glow. 

"  Won't  you  come,  then,  boys, —  not  none  of 
you?  "  he  asked. 

u  Not  a  bit  of  it !  Catch  me  I  "  sniggered 
Toney.  He  had  been  sidling  around  the  wagon. 
He  was  now  on  the  far  side  from  Jinks.  '  You 
are  mighty  kind  to  ask  us,  Jinks,  but  I  can't  come 
to  see  you  and  the  old  boy  to-day.  Since  you  feel 
so  friendly  to  us,  though,  I'll  just  help  myself  to 
a  few  of  Flannigan's  things.  Here's  a  basket  full 
of  meat  and  bread;  there's  some  fruit,  too,  and 
several  other  bundles  —  I'll  take  a  lot,  if  you  don't 
mind!" 

"  No,  no,  Toney, —  please  —  not  that !  "  Jinks' 
voice  rang  out,  filled  with  such  sharp  agony  and 
terror  that  Sis  glanced  back  over  her  shoulder  as 
she  went  down  the  Alley  on  her  way  home.  She 

152 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

did  not  return,  though,  as  she  saw  no  open  hostili- 
ties. Granny  had  been  drunk  for  a  week,  and 
Sis  had  troubles  of  her  own. 

"Aw  —  listen  to  the  chicken  heart!"  sniffed 
Tommy,  diving  into  the  back  of  the  big  wagon 
with  both  hands.  u  Hookey, —  here's  a  lot  of 
bread  I" 

"  Don't  do  it,  Tommy;  don't.  If  it  was  mine 
you  could  have  it  all  —  but  them  things  belong  to 
Mr.  Flannigan !  Don't,  Tommy,  please  —  please 
don't !  "  At  some  note  in  Jinks'  half  frantic  voice 
Tommy  drew  back,  dropping  the  bundle  he  held. 

Toney  shrieked  with  laughter  and  seized  a  Jarge 
package  in  each  hand.  "  Thank  you,  my  boy  i  I 
remember  how  you  used  to  smell  out  things  of 
Flannigan's  just  for  us !  I'm  sure  we  are  welcorrie 
to  these.  Ta,  ta!  We'll  meet  again  before 
long!" 

"Toney,  fetch  'em  back, —  fetch  'em  back!" 
Jinks'  voice  rang  through  the  Alley  in  agonized 
tones.  At  the  same  moment  the  rear  door  was 
flung  wide  and  Peter  Flannigan  stood  on  the 
threshold. 

Jinks  rushed  to  him,  his  face  as  white  as  chalk, 
his  blue  eyes  wide  and  filled  with  something  close 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

akin  to  terror.  Without  a  word  he  hid  his  face 
in  Peter's  long,  white  apron.  Peter  glanced 
keenly  about  him.  He  saw  the  boys  running 
down  the  Alley;  he  also  noted  the  empty  basket  on 
the  ground  —  the  bundles  grasped  in  Toney's 
hands. 

11  I  never  touched  nothing,  Mr.  Flannigan, 
cross-my-heart  I  never:  I  wouldn't  touch  noth- 
ing —  I  couldn't  touch  nothing, — "  Jinks  choked 
and  dived  still  deeper  into  the  voluminous  folds 
of  Peter's  apron.  The  man  put  his  hand  on  the 
boy's  shoulder  and  found  that  the  slight  figure 
was  shaking  like  a  leaf  with  sobs. 

Peter's  face  grew  black.  He  placed  a  huge 
arm  about  the  shivering  child  and  drew  him  into 
the  store.  "  Come  on  in  to  the  stove,  Jinks,"  he 
said.  "  I  saw  the  little  limbs  through  the  window 
when  they  grabbed  the  things,  and  that's  why  I 
came  out.  Sit  down  now  and  stop  ye  shivering. 
Sure,  boy,  and  I  know  ye  would  not  touch  a  thing 
that  did  not  belong  to  ye!  Haven't  we  cleaned 
out  the  inside  of  ye  until  naught  of  evil  is  left 
there?  And, —  don't  I  trust  ye,  Jinks?  " 

Jinks  raised  his  head.  He  said  never  a  word 
as  his  wide,  blue  eyes  met  the  keen,  gray  ones  in  a 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

long,  long  look;  but  in  the  coming  dark  hours 
whose  shadow  was  already  stretching  its  gaunt 
fingers  towards  him,  that  look  came  back  to  Peter 
Flannigan  again  and  again,  freighted  with  a 
strange,  almost  solemn,  meaning. 


CHAPTER  NINE 

Jinks  sat  in  the  back  of  the  big  delivery  wagon 
one  afternoon,  his  swinging  feet  keeping  perfect 
time  to  the  song  he  was  singing.  He  and  Jake, 
the  driver,  had  become  the  most  devoted  friends, 
and  the  brown  head  of  the  dog  and  the  red  one  of 
the  boy  were  usually  seen  bobbing  about  close  to 
Jake's  mop  of  shaggy  tow  as  the  wagon  made  its 
daily  rounds  through  the  city. 

Only  a  few  days  had  gone  by  since  the  morning 
the  boys  had  robbed  the  wagon,  but  Jinks  was  not 
thinking  of  that  now, —  in  fact,  he  was  not  think- 
ing of  anything.  He  was  just  happy, —  all  the 
way  through,  and  clasping  the  curly  brown  dog 
close  in  his  arms  he  swung  his  feet  and  sang  his 
song,  his  heels  going  faster  and  faster  as  the  clear, 
ringing  tones  of  his  voice  rose  higher  and  sweeter 
in  the  cold  air. 

Jinks  had  been  sitting  in  the  back  of  the  wagon 
about  ten  minutes  when  he  turned  his  head  quickly, 
the  movement  caused  by  the  strange  feeling  that 

156 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

comes  from  an  intuitive  knowledge  that  one  is 
being  stared  at.  Sure  enough,  in  a  doorway  across 
the  Alley  stood  Tommy  Bates,  his  dirty  face  all 
a-beam,  his  eyes  twinkling,  his  hand  beckoning. 
He  and  Jinks  had  visited  very  amicably  on  the 
rear  steps  each  day  since  the  morning  the  wagon 
had  been  robbed,  though  Tommy  had  refused 
stubbornly  to  enter  the  store,  skurrying  away  like 
a  frightened  animal  at  the  slightest  hint  of  Peter's 
approach.  Now  each  boy  bestowed  upon  the 
other  a  broad  grin  of  good  fellowship. 

"  Hello,  Tommy !  "  Jinks  cried,  bringing  his 
song  to  an  abrupt  close  and  preparing  to  leap  to 
the  ground. 

"  Come  on  over !  "  invited  Tommy  in  a  piercing 
whisper  through  the  hole  where  his  front  teeth 
once  had  been,  but  were  no  longer.  "  Just  you 
come  a-hiking,  for  I've  got  something  to  show 
you,  and  something  to  tell,  too !  " 

"What  is  it?"  demanded  Jinks  eagerly,  run- 
ning across  to  the  doorway,  the  dog  in  his  arms. 
"  Tell  it  quick,  Tommy,  or  I'll  chunk  it  right  ker- 
slap-bang  out  of  you !  " 

"  Betcher  life  you'd  just  better  try  that  on!  " 
bristled  Tommy.  "  Betcher  life  if  you  do  you'll 

iS7 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

ever-lastingly  get  your  cocoanut  cracked  good  and 
plenty, —  that's  what  you'll  get  1  " 

"  But  what  is  it?  "  insisted  Jinks,  curiosity  for 
the  once  rising  triumphant  over  the  bellicose  in- 
stinct that  had  been  abnormally  developed  in  the 
atmosphere  of  Paradise  Alley.  "  How  you  know 
it,  Tommy,  and  where'd  you  find  out  about  it?  " 

"  I  know  it  'cause  it's  the  reading  in  a  paper, 
and  I  found  out  about  it  'cause  Toney  read  it  to 
me.  Toney's  the  lucky  chap, —  he  can  read  read- 
ing!" Tommy  sighed  enviously. 

"What's  it  about?"  demanded  Jinks,  hugging 
the  brown  dog  close,  and  hooking  a  persuasive 
forefinger  in  Tommy's  tattered  jacket  front. 
"  And  where's  it  at,  Tommy?  " 

"  It's  in  my  pocket,  and  it's  about  you! " 
Tommy  drew  back  and  eyed  Jinks  triumphantly, 
swelling  with  importance.  Then,  by  a  series  of 
facial  contortions  whose  meanings  were  the  sacred 
and  secret  property  of  the  brotherhood,  he  con- 
veyed to  his  companion  that  he  really  did  know 
something, —  in  fact,  was  not  only  filled  to  the 
limit  of  his  holding  capacity  with  news,  but  was 
also  on  fire  with  a  great  desire  to  impart  his  knowl- 
edge. 

158 


WHAT  is  IT?"  DEMANDED  JINKS  EAGERLY 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

"  Well,  tell  it,  can't  you?"  insisted  Jinks  with 
an  impatient  shove  that  came  close  to  toppling 
Tommy  out  the  doorway.  "  Spill  it." 

Tommy  nodded  mysteriously.  "  It's  about 
you, —  in  the  paper  —  and  the  DOG,  mostly 
though  the  DOG !  "  He  brought  the  words  out 
slowly  that  each  might  have  its  proper  weight. 
Nor  was  he  disappointed  in  the  effect  that  his  an- 
nouncement had. 

Jinks'  eyes  grew  big,  his  face  white.  He  backed 
off  from  Tommy,  clasping  the  brown  dog  so 
tightly  in  his  arms  that  the  little  creature  gave  a 
sharp  yelp  of  protest,  then  promptly  licked  the 
dimpled  chin  above  his  head  in  token  of  apol- 
ogy. 

"What  is  it,  Tommy?"  the  boy  asked,  in  a 
voice  that  had  suddenly  lost  all  its  joyous  lilt. 

"  Toney  read  it  to  me  this  very  morning,"  said 
Tommy.  Fishing  about  in  his  pocket  he  brought 
forth  a  very  small  and  very  dirty  scrap  of  paper. 
"  I  can't  read  it,  but  I  can  say  it,  for  Toney  read  it 
to  me  until  I  know  it  'thout  any  reading  of  it. 
*  Lost, —  a  brown  dog  named  Bat.'  See  — "  tri- 
umphantly, as  the  small,  curly  ball  in  Jinks'  arms 
jumped  and  whimpered  and  wagged  in  an  ecstasy 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

of   delight.     "The   little   cuss!     He   knows   his 
name!  " 

Jinks  grasped  the  dog  close.  "  He  ain't  named 
that, —  what  you  said !  He's  named  Dog, — my 
Dog!  "  he  faltered,  his  voice  dull  and  smothered. 
"  Just  you  tell  me  what  else  it  says,  Tommy." 
The  big,  blue  eyes  that  rested  upon  Tommy's  im- 
pudent face  were  wide  and  strained. 

"  It  says  ten  dollars  reward  for  bringing  him 
back  to  Dr.  Jasper  Brereton,"  announced  Tommy. 

"  It  just  can't  be  —  my  dog,  Tommy!  It  can't 
be !  "  All  the  joy-light  was  gone  from  the  small, 
white  face,  the  spring  from  the  slim  figure.  Jinks 
looked  tired  and  old,  as  though  the  weight  of  life 
that  had  so  recently  slipped  from  his  shoulders 
had  suddenly  settled  down  upon  him  again. 

Tommy  cocked  a  bright,  black  eye  at  his  com- 
panion's downcast  face.  "  How  come  it  can't 
be?  "  he  demanded.  "  Toney  said  the  paper  was 
printed  the  day  after  you  found  the  dog, —  and 
he  sure  does  know  his  name  is  Bat.  See?  " 

Jinks  saw.  The  brown  dog  had  quivered  de- 
lightedly at  the  sound  of  the  evidently  familiar 
name.  Then  he  held  out  a  silky  paw  to  shake 
hands,  smiling  graciously  at  Tommy. 

160 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  You  just  plainly  ain't  got  no  right  to  keep 
him,  Jinks,"  said  Tommy  piously.  "  He  ain't 
yours,  and  if  you  keep  him  you'll  be  plum  steal- 
ing, you  really  will.  And  you  and  me  both  knows 
that  ain't  good  for  us, —  at  least  /  do."  Tommy 
shook  his  black  head  with  a  self-righteous  air  as 
he  delivered  himself  of  this  unexpected  moral  lec- 
ture. 

Jinks  stared  in  surprise.  "  I  say, —  what's  the 
matter  with  you,  anyway  ?  "  he  bristled.  "  Cross- 
my-heart,  if  I  don't  believe  you've  done  gone 
batty!  My  dog's  mine  'cause  I  found  him!  I 
don't  know  nothing  about  your  old  doctor  man, 
nor  your  old  paper  with  its  reading  either !  " 

Tommy  grinned  and  slowly  closed  one  bright, 
beady  eye.  "  Gee !  You  sure  was  a-blowing  big 
and  hard  then  when  you  told  me  you'd  done  cleaned 
out  your  inside, —  you  and  old  man  Flannigan !  I 
thought  it  was  all  slush,  and  so  I  told  Toney  and 
Sis.  If  you  are  too  clean  in  your  middle  to  let 
me'n'  Toney  pinch  a  loaf  of  bread  from  Flannigan 
when  we  are  so  hungry  we  can  see  our  wheels  go 
'round  and  hear  'em  tick,  how  come  you  can  swal- 
ler  a  dog  whole,  and  keep  him  down,  too,  when 
you  know  for  sure  he  ain't  a-belonging  there, 

161 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

'cause  why  he  belongs  to  the  doctor  man  on  the 
Bullyvard !  "  Tommy  always  gave  his  opinion  in 
very  plain  terms,  stating  it  crudely,  but  with  a 
concrete  clearness  that  drove  his  meaning  home. 
Now  he  wagged  a  dark  head  impressively  at  Jinks, 
and  burrowed  into  him  with  an  inquisitorial  eye 
whose  glance  was  untempered  by  mercy. 

"I  —  I  —  I  —  but  Tommy, —  I  found  him !  " 
faltered  Jinks,  clasping  the  dog  so  closely  in  his 
arms  that  the  little  fellow  again  raised  a  protest- 
ing voice.  "  I  found  him,  Tommy,  and  me'n'  Sis 
we  tied  him  up  and  grewed  him  together!  He's 
just  plum  bleeged  to  be  mine  I  " 

"  And  see,  sonny,  /  done  found  out  where  he  be- 
longs for  you,  so's  you  can  take  him  home,"  said 
Tommy  cheerfully,  his  spirits  rising  as  Jinks'  sank. 
"  And  all  I  gotter  say  is, —  do  this  if  so  be  you 
are  that!  If  you  ain't, —  don't!"  Tommy 
thumped  the  dirty  scrap  of  paper  with  a  still 
dirtier  finger,  and  cocked  a  knowing  eye  at  Jinks. 
"  I  ain't  a  mite  of  use,  Jinks,  for  the  cleaning  of 
your  inside  that  you  was  a-telling  me  about  unless 
it  works  your  outside, —  see?  It's  gotter  work 
your  legs  and  wag  your  tongue  this  time,  sure-pop, 
or  it  ain't  nothing  but  slush  to  come  it  over  old 

162 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

man  Flannigan, —  that's  what  it  is."  Faith  with- 
out works  evidently  had  no  attraction  for  Tommy 
Bates.  Tommy  also  meant  to  see  that  his 
brother's  faith  should  prove  itself  by  material 
manifestations,  if  wordy  prods  in  his  spiritual  ribs 
possessed  any  persuasive  power. 

"  I  gotter  go  right  straight  home,  Tommy." 
All  the  life  had  died  out  of  Jinks'  voice,  all  the 
light  from  his  face. 

Tommy  grinned  impishly.  "  All  right,"  said 
he.  "  I  know  where  this  doctor  man  what  Bat 
belongs  to  lives.  Me'n'  Toney  went  out  there  and 
looked  at  the  house  this  very  morning,  so's  I'd 
know  it  to  show  to  you !  It's  a  buster  —  on  the 
Bullyvard !  My  eye !  " 

"  You  shut  up,  Tommy  Bates,  or  I'll  blodgy 
your  nose  for  you  1  "  cried  Jinks.  Then,  without 
looking  around  to  see  how  Tommy  took  his  oblig- 
ing offer,  he  pulled  his  cap  over  his  eyes  and  dart- 
ing across  the  street  plunged  head  foremost  into 
the  rear  door  of  the  store. 

The  morning  following  Tommy's  interview  with 
Jinks,  a  motley  procession  emerged  from  the  en- 
trance of  Paradise  Alley  and  headed  towards  the 

163 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

more  aristocratic  part  of  the  city.  It  was  led  by 
Tommy,  who  stepped  high,  his  cap  jauntily 
perched  over  one  ear,  his  dirty  face  one  broad 
smile.  Tommy  simply  exuded  self-complacency, 
and  walked  along  surrounded  by  an  aura  of  it  that 
was  almost  visible.  This  state  of  beautitude  was 
in  part  due  to  his  gratification  at  the  result  of  his 
determination  that  Jinks  should  walk  in  the  path 
of  strict  rectitude;  his  satisfaction,  though,  was 
decidedly  augmented  by  the  fact  that  he  wore 
Jinks'  new  jacket  I 

Close  behind  Tommy  came  Sis,  an  unusual  sober- 
ness on  the  small,  dark  face  under  the  heavy,  black 
hair,  her  big  eyes  filled  with  a  queer  mingling  of 
respect  and  sympathy  when  they  rested  upon  Jinks, 
who  trudged  along  at  her  side.  The  brown  dog 
was  close  clasped  in  Jinks'  arms.  The  freckled 
face  above  the  silky  head  was  white  and  worn,  but 
settled  into  lines  of  grim  determination  that  said 
silently  the  will-power  that  the  square  chin  indi- 
cated had  stepped  to  the  fore  and  was  forcing  the 
reluctant  feet  to  walk  in  the  path  that  led  to  the 
Boulevard  and  renunciation. 

Jinks  had  wound  up  his  long,  silent  fight  of  the 
afternoon  in  the  kindling  box  the  night  before  with 

164 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Peter  for  audience  and  Bat  for  confessor,  com- 
forter and  sympathizer. 

Each  evening  after  Peter  retired  to  his  upper 
chamber  Jinks  and  the  dog  had  a  grand,  good- 
night frolic  before  the  big  stove,  the  two 
rolling  over  and  over  on  the  floor  in  an  abandon 
of  joyous  delight.  Their  sounds  of  mirth  pene- 
trated to  Peter's  room,  and  he  had  formed  the 
habit  of  slipping  out  to  the  top  of  the  stairs  to 
peer  down  upon  the  unconscious  pair  below. 

These  surreptitious  peep-shows  had  become  such 
a  source  of  delight  to  Peter  that  on  the  evening 
following  the  afternoon  on  which  Tommy  had 
told  Jinks  of  the  advertisement  for  the  dog,  the 
big  store-keeper  took  his  accustomed  perch  on  the 
top  step,  simply  purring  in  pleased  anticipation. 
All  the  evening  he  had  been  too  busy  with  his  ac- 
counts to  notice  Jinks,  beyond  the  fact  that  he  and 
the  dog  had  been  curled  for  hours  in  the  big  arm- 
chair. Peter  had  gone  to  his  room  as  soon  as  the 
huge  ledger  was  closed,  and  so  failed  to  note  how 
quiet  the  boy  was,  and  was  totally  unprepared  for 
the  deadly  silence  that  reigned  in  the  store. 

Peter  peered  eagerly  through  the  banisters, — 
looking  in  his  flaming  red  night-cap  not  unlike  a 

165 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Friar  Tuck  masquerading  as  a  jovial  Mephistoph- 
eles.  As  he  looked  down  his  face  grew  blank, 
and  his  eyes  opened  wide.  No  boy  and  dog  were 
rolling  and  whirling  about  on  the  rug  before  the 
stove,  as  was  their  nightly  custom !  Peter  craned 
his  neck  through  the  banisters,  and  by  the  light 
that  came  from  the  open  stove  door  he  saw  a  small, 
huddled  figure  sitting  in  the  middle  of  the  kindling 
box,  its  knees  drawn  up  under  its  chin,  its  head 
bowed. 

"  Bless  gracious!  "  muttered  Peter.  "  Has  the 
little  cuss  got  it  again  in  his  middle?" 

"  It's  my  inside,  Dog  — "  Jinks  spoke  in  sub- 
dued tones,  but  so  clear  was  his  voice  and  pos- 
sessed of  such  unusual  carrying  qualities  that  each 
low  word  fell  distinctly  upon  Peter's  ear.  And  as 
it  fell  Peter  scratched  the  end  of  his  nose  with 
a  big  forefinger,  and  sat  with  drooping  head  a  sec- 
ond, thinking  deeply.  Then  very  deliberately  he 
tucked  the  generous  tail  of  his  yellow-flannel 
nightie  snugly  about  his  feet,  and,  thrusting  his 
night-capped  head  again  through  the  banisters,  he 
listened  shamelessly  to  the  caucus  being  held  in 
the  kindling  box  I 

"  Cross-my-heart,  Dog,  if  I  don't  just  everlast- 
166 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

ingly  wish  Tommy  and  Toney  was  both  of  'em 
dead  and  gone  to  Glory-be  I  "  came  in  a  stifled 
wail  from  amid  the  folds  of  the  gray  blanket. 
Peter  jumped, —  so  did  the  brown  dog  that  was 
sitting  in  the  end  of  the  box,  his  soft  eyes  fastened 
on  Jinks.  With  that  strange  psychic  understand- 
ing possessed  by  the  canine  race,  Bat  felt  that 
something  was  wrong,  and  scrambling  over  to 
Jinks  he  stood  upon  his  hind  legs  and  placed  both 
forepaws  about  the  boy's  neck. 

Peter  moved  nervously  for  a  second,  as  though 
he  wanted  to  go  and  join  the  dog,  but  thought 
better  of  it  and  remained  where  he  was. 

"  Tommy  was  a  bum  fellow  telling  me  about 
that  doctor  man  saying  you  was  his  dog  in  the 
paper,  and  making  me  just  everlastingly  have  to 
take  you  to  him!  You  know  I  gotter  do  it, — 
BAT !  "  The  word  he  had  been  forcing  back  all 
the  afternoon  came  out  with  a  bang,  and  as  the 
dog  scrambled  about  deliriously  in  the  kindling 
box,  frantic  with  delight  at  his  restored  identity, 
Peter  nodded  his  head  in  the  darkness. 

He  was  beginning  to  understand. 

"  Cross-my-heart  again,  Dog,  I  never,  never 
would  let  you  go  if  it  was  just  me, —  no  matter 

167 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

how  you  made  my  inside  ache  'cause  I'd  done 
stole  you !  I'd  have  let  it  ache  and  ache  and  kept 
you  for  mine,  sure  pop,  if  it  wasn't  for  the  others! 
But  I  gotter  let  you  go  —  I  gotter  take  you  to  that 
man  —  I  gotter  do  it !  I  gotter  give  you  away, 
not  for  me  —  but  for  Mr.  Flannigan.  He  trusts 
me,  Dog;  he  said  I  was  a  going  to  keep  my  inside 
clean,  and  I  can't  do  it  with  no  dog  in  it  that  ain't 
mine,  if  you  are  all  I've  got  or  ever  did  havel 
You  know  I  can't  I  " 

In  the  kindling  box  Bat  scrubbed  a  cold  nose 
all  over  Jinks'  face  in  a  frantic  effort  to  rub  in 
the  sympathetic  understanding  he  had  no  power 
to  put  into  words. 

On  the  stairs  Peter  dropped  his  big  head  on  his 
hands,  and  sank  back  deeper  in  the  shielding  shad- 
ows. 

"  It  ain't  all  Mr.  Flannigan  either,"  went  on 
Jinks,  confessing  himself  with  a  soul-satisfying 
thoroughness.  "  It's  Sis  a  good  deal, —  and 
Toney  a  little, —  and  Tommy, —  Oh,  my  eye ! 
It's  Tommy  a  blooming  lot!  It's  just  everlast- 
ingly Tommy  special,  next  after  Mr.  Flannigan! 
Oh,  Dog  —  I  gotter  take  you  to  your  home  in 
the  morning  where  the  doctor  man's  at  what  you 

168 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

belong  to,  even  if  you  are  mine!  I  gotter  do  it 
for  Mr.  Flannigan !  " 

As  the  boy  ceased  abruptly,  stifled  more  by  the 
storm  of  long  suppressed  sobs  than  the  shielding 
folds  of  the  gray  blanket  into  which  the  red  head 
burrowed,  the  big  man  on  the  top  step  slowly  re- 
moved his  flannel  night-cap.  Then  after  a  sec- 
ond's hesitation,  he  got  up  hurriedly  and  went  into 
his  room. 

Peter  Flannigan  sat  down  on  the  side  of  his  bed, 
staring  hard  at  the  flaming  head-dress  he  held  in 
his  hand.  "  I'll  —  be  —  blamed !  "  Peter  choked 
and  then  ceased  abruptly.  "  The  little  —  cuss !  " 
He  took  a  fresh  start  in  tones  that  held  a  de- 
cided wobble.  "  The  darned  little  cuss !  Well, 
indeed  and  I  think  he  has  got  it  clean!  And 
sure  now,  'tis  meself  that  knows  he'll  keep  it  so, — 
giving  up  the  dog  settles  that,  for  an  inside-clean- 
up-do-right most  generally  has  to  have  a  pain 
hitched  to  it  somewhere,  and  when  it  has,  sure  it's 
one  of  them  things  that  stays, —  it's  got  a  sticking 
power  that  beats  even  Paradise  Alley  mud !  " 

Peter  nodded  his  gray  head  wisely  at  his  red 
flannel  night-cap,  then  clapped  it  on,  and,  hur- 
riedly turning  off  the  light,  he  scrambled  into  bed. 

169 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

As  the  small  procession  from  Paradise  Alley 
turned  into  the  wide  Boulevard,  Tommy  gave  a 
war-whoop  in  which  was  mingled  a  delighted 
greeting  and  a  discharge  of  pent-up  emotions. 
Tommy  had  grinned  and  joked  with  his  might 
since  leaving  the  Alley,  but  even  his  spirits  were 
flagging  beneath  the  constantly  deepening  gloom 
of  Jinks  and  Sis.  The  nearer  they  came  to  Dr. 
Brereton's  home,  the  harder  Tommy  found  it  to 
walk  with  his  jaunty  swagger.  Therefore  it  was 
that  his  greeting  to  little  Billy  King  was  of  such  an 
unusual  fervor  that  it  made  the  smaller  boy's  heart 
beat  a  lively  tattoo  of  delight. 

"  Where  you  going  to,  and  what  you  going  to 
do  with  the  dog?"  twittered  Billy,  turning  his 
pony  to  the  sidewalk  in  response  to  Tommy's 
call. 

"  We  are  taking  him  out  to  the  doctor  man 
what  he  belongs  to,  though  he  ain't  his  dog,  but 
Jinks'."  Sis  spoke  in  subdued  tones,  feeling  rather 
than  seeing  that  Jinks  was  incapable  of  offering 
any  explanation. 

Billy  blinked  at  Jinks  through  his  pop-eyed 
glasses,  and  something  in  the  small,  determined 
face  of  the  boy  he  adored  brought  the  King  heir 

170 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

slipping  from  his  pony  and  across  the  pavement 
to  lay  his  gloved  fingers  on  Bat's  soft,  brown  head. 
"  He's  a  mighty  nice  dog,  Jinks,"  said  Billy  in 
his  neat,  little  voice. 

"  And  you  just  everlastingly  bucked  up  about 
him  that  time,  Billy !  "  said  Sis,  plunging  gallantly 
into  the  conversation  to  cover  Jinks'  speechless- 
ness.  "  You  were  a  brick,  sure  pop !  " 

Beneath  the  genuine  approval  in  her  eyes  and 
voice  Billy's  pale  face  flushed,  his  meager  che«t  ex- 
panded. "  You  can  ride  my  pony,  Sis,  if  you 
want  to  1  "  he  offered,  holding  the  reins  out  to 
her. 

Into  Sis's  dark  cheeks  a  crimson  flush  arose  that 
made  her  small  countenance  vivid  for  a  fleeting 
second.  She  started  towards  the  pony,  her  eyes 
radiant  with  delight, —  then  hesitated,  looked  at 
Jinks,  and  stood  still.  "  I  —  I  —  I  think  maybe 
Jinks  had  better  ride  to-day,  Billy,"  she  said. 
"  He's  —  he's  —  well,  you  see,  maybe  it'll  make 
up  some  for  the  dog." 

"  Can't  nothing  ever,  never  make  up  for  my 
dog!  "  Jinks  forced  the  words  across  his  lips  with 
an  effort  that  left  his  face  white,  his  hands  cold. 
"Not  any  other  nothing  will  ever  be  him,  Sis! 

171 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Not  any  other  nothing  can't  ever  get  broke  like 
he  did,  and  be  mended,  and  sleep  in  the  barrel,  and 
eat  the  ham,  and  snuggle  up  under  the  gray 
kiver  — "  Jinks  paused  with  a  choke  as  his  mind 
worked  backward  into  the  sorrow-times  that  had 
been  shared  by  the  little  ball  of  silk  in  his  arms. 
Billy  King  patted  Bat's  head  again;  and  blinking 
her  big  eyes  faster  than  usual,  Sis  came  from  the 
edge  of  the  pavement  to  grasp  Jinks'  sleeve  with 
a  comforting  tightness  that  the  boy  felt  and  under- 
stood. 

"  I'll  ride  the  pony  for  you,  Billy  1  "  offered 
Tommy,  upon  whose  nerves  the  gloom-charged  at- 
mosphere was  settling  more  heavily  each  moment. 
"  I'll  ride  him  all  the  way  up  the  Bullyvard  to  Doc- 
tor Brereton's  if  you  want  me  to  I  " 

Sis  whirled  around  like  a  flash.  "  I'd  just  like 
to  see  you  try  it !  "  said  she,  her  eyes  blazing. 
"  You  get  on  that  there  pony  one  time,  Tommy 
Bates,  and  I'll  knock  you  right  slap-bang  off  it! 
And  when  you  light,  cross-my-heart,  if  I  don't  claw 
your  jaw  and  chunk  you  in  the  stummick's  hard  as 
ever  I  can !  " 

"  Aw  —  shut  up,  you  scratchie  cat !  "  said 
Tommy,  backing  off  as  Sis  started  in  his  direction 

172 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

with  a  threatening  head-shake.  "  Billy's  going 
our  way;  he  don't  want  to  ride  all  the  time!  " 

"  Let  Jinks  ride  then,"  retorted  'Sis. 

"I  —  I  don't  want  to,"  said  Jinks,  shrinking  in 
his  present  grief-stricken  state  from  a  delight  that 
would  have  warmed  the  heart  of  him  the  day  be- 
fore. "  I'd  rather  walk  and  carry  my  —  the 
dog." 

"  I  say  — "  Sis's  eyes  began  to  grow  big  and 
wide,  with  the  unseeing  look  in  them  that 
always  meant  a  story-telling  attack  was  coming 
on.  "I  say  —  let's  —  let's  —  Billy  King,  see- 
ing it's  the  dog's  very  last  hour,  let's  let  him 
ride !  He  ain't  never  rode  a  pony  in  all  his  life 
no  more'n  we  have!  Let's  let  him  have  his  turn 
now,  for  it'll  never,  never  come  to  him  again  in 
this  world !  " 

Billy  beamed.  If  the  dog  rode,  that  meant  he 
would  be  allowed  to  accompany  this  altogether  de- 
sirable trio  all  the  way  out  the  Boulevard  to  Dr. 
Brereton's  home !  Surely  the  gods  were  good  in 
that  they  gave  to  William  King  his  heart's  desire ! 
"  That's  it!  "  he  said,  his  voice  unsteady  from  the 
rapture  thrilling  within  him. 

"  Sure  it  is !  "  said  Sis,  her  eyes  growing  bigger 
i73 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

and  wider  as  the  wonder  of  the  plan  began  to  un- 
roll before  her  mental  vision.  "  And  we  can  take 
turns  holding  him  on,  and  we'll  walk  out  in  the 
middle  of  the  Bullyvard  right  by  the  pony,  just 
like  a  circus  percession  or  a  funeral  parade  1  " 

"  That's  bully !  "  cried  Tommy,  hailing  any- 
thing with  gladness  that  would  remove  from  him 
the  terrible  feeling  of  being  responsible  for  the 
whole  thing  that  settled  down  upon  him  with  re- 
newed force  every  time  he  saw  Jinks'  tragic  face 
or  encountered  Sis's  disapproving  glance.  Her 
look  made  Tommy  feel  anxious,  for  he  knew 
that  with  Sis  disapproval  always  meant  an  early 
hour  of  strict  reckoning.  "  How  you  like  it, 
Jinks?" 

"  If  the  dog  wants  to,  he  can,"  faltered  Jinks, 
who  found  words  harder  and  harder  propositions 
the  nearer  the  end  of  the  journey  came.  As  he 
spoke  he  went  to  the  pony's  side  and,  lifting  the 
dog,  placed  him  in  the  tiny  saddle.  Bat  turned 
his  head,  distinct  disapproval  in  his  soft  brown 
eyes.  At  the  same  moment  he  tucked  his  plume 
as  close  to  his  left  hind  leg  as  he  could  glue  it,  and 
flattened  his  ears  down  on  either  side  in  a  fashion 
that  made  his  small  face  the  picture  of  canine  mis- 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

ery.  "  He  don't  like  it  a  bit!  "  said  Jinks,  pre- 
paring to  take  him  down. 

"  Just  you  wait  till  we  get  real  close  to  him, 
side  by  each,  me'n'  you  both,  then  he'll  like  it 
prime !  "  comforted  Sis,  and  running  around  to 
the  other  side  of  the  pony  she  laid  a  small,  dirty 
hand  on  the  brown  dog's  curly  back.  Jinks  placed 
his  hand  close  beside  Sis's  and  with  his  two  friends 
thus  bracing  him  physically  with  their  hands  and 
mentally  with  their  affection  the  little  chap  began 
to  look  less  like  his  last  hour  really  had  come. 

The  procession  again  struck  into  the  middle  of 
the  Boulevard  and  took  up  its  line  of  march  for 
the  home  of  Dr.  Jasper  Brereton.  Billy  and 
Tommy  led  the  pony,  and  Jinks  and  Sis  walked 
close  by  its  sides  holding  Bat  carefully  in  the  sad- 
dle. 

The  brown  dog  was  too  well  bred  to  offer  any 
vocal  protests,  and  after  the  first  few  anxious  mo- 
ments his  face  lost  its  martyr-like  expression,  his 
soft  ears  again  stuck  up  at  their  usual  happy  angle, 
and  the  plumy  tail  wiggled  a  silky  tip  in  grateful 
response  to  the  loving  pats  and  squeezes  adminis- 
tered surreptitiously  by  Jinks. 

When  Jinks  started  up  the  wide  walk  that  led 
i75 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

from  the  high  iron  gates  to  the  door  of  Dr.  Jas- 
per Brereton's  home,  the  escort  deployed,  and, 
lining  up  along  the  fence,  glued  their  faces  tight  to 
the  openings  between  the  bars.  The  three  pairs 
of  eyes  followed  the  slight  figure  bearing  the  dog 
in  its  arms  with  as  many  different  expressions,  Sis's 
being  soft  and  luminous  with  sympathetic  under- 
standing, Tommy's  keen  with  curiosity,  and  little 
Billy  King's  wide  with  admiration. 

Jinks  stumbled  several  times  as  he  plodded 
heavily  along  his  Via  Dolorosa.  He  did  not  look 
behind,  however,  the  glances  of  the  six  eyes  that 
were  boring  into  his  back  proving,  though  sub-con- 
ciously,  both  a  mental  prop  and  a  physical  pro- 
peller. The  journey  from  the  gate  to  the  house 
was  the  longest  path  that  Jinks  had  ever  trod, 
and  the  steepest,  and  possibly  it  was  just  as  well 
that  the  increasing  agitation  of  the  dog  demanded 
all  his  attention,  for  the  nearer  the  pillared  veranda 
was  approached,  the  more  desperate  became  Bat's 
efforts  to  leap  from  the  arms  that  held  him. 

As  Jinks  stumbled  blindly  up  the  wide  steps, — 
urged  on  by  the  indomitable  something  inside  of 
him  that  was  working  his  legs  woodenly  and  hold- 
ing his  face  immovably  towards  the  house, —  the 

176 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

front  door  swung  open.  A  tall,  dark-faced  man, 
dressed  for  the  street,  came  out,  and  paused  with 
a  start  and  a  smile  as  his  glance  fell  upon  the  small 
figure  toiling  up  the  steps  with  the  dog  in  its  arms. 
"  Why,  Bat!  "  he  exclaimed,  his  surprised  greeting 
being  at  once  answered  by  a  yelp  of  delighted  rec- 
ognition that  Jinks'  suddenly  tightening  clasp 
turned  into  a  howl  of  pain. 

"  Hello,  youngster !  "  Jasper  Brereton  came  to 
the  steps,  and  looked  down  with  a  smile  into  the 
small,  tragic  face  that  was  raised  to  his. 

"  Take  him  —  he's  your  dog!  "  came  in  a  queer, 
smothered  gulp  from  behind  the  dog,  which  was 
making  frantic  efforts  to  escape. 

"  Where  did  you  get  him?  "  the  doctor  asked, 
his  amused  expression  changing  suddenly  to  one  of 
startled  interest  as  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  blue 
eyes  over  Bat's  agitated  head. 

"You  take  him, —  darn  quick  1"  Jinks 
dropped  the  quivering  ball  of  delight  into  the 
white,  scholarly  hands  extended  to  receive  it,  and 
backed  hurriedly  down  to  the  second  step. 

"  But,  I  say,  youngster!  Where  did  you  find 
him?"  insisted  Dr.  Brereton,  turning  his  head 
aside  to  avoid  the  caresses  of  a  delirious  pink 

177 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

tongue,  and  also  coming  down  to  the  second  step. 

"  I  never  found  him, —  he  found  me  —  butted 
right  slap-bang  inter  me  with  a  tin  can  hitched  to 
his  tail!  We  tied  him  up,  and  he  spit  out  the  ap- 
ple, and  et  the  ham  and  slept  in  the  gray  kiver, — " 
A  sudden  fierce  gust  of  rage  swept  through  Jinks, 
rendering  him  speechless  for  a  second,  during 
which  he  battled  desperately  with  the  tempest  of 
tears  that  was  about  to  disgrace  him  forever  in 
his  own  eyes  by  demanding  way.  '  You  take  him 
—  and  let  me  alone  !  " 

"  But,  the  reward,  you  know !  "  The  doctor 
followed  as  Jinks  backed  on  down  to  the  walk. 
"  Wait  until  I  give  you  — "  He  thrust  his  hand 
into  his  pocket  as  he  spoke.  But  he  did  not  take 
it  out. 

Bristling  with  pain  and  rage,  Jinks  seized  a 
handful  of  gravel  and  threw  it  full  at  the  stately 
gentleman  standing  on  the  step.  "  You  take 
that !  "  he  panted,  "  and  I  dare  you  to  pay  me  for 
my  dog.  I  don't  want  none  of  your  old  money!  " 
Whirling  around  he  sped  like  the  wind  down  the 
walk. 

A  wail  of  renunciation  had  vibrated  beneath  the 
tempestuous  outbreak.  Dr.  Brereton's  keenly  at- 

178 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

tuned  intuition  caught  the  minor  chord  to  which 
mere  physical  hearing  would  have  been  deaf. 
"  Poor  little  beggar!  "  he  said  thoughtfully,  as  he 
turned  back  into  the  house  with  the  dog  in  his 
arms.  "  I  wonder  where  that  child  came  from  and 
how  he  found  Bat  and  his  way  here !  " 

"  I  say, —  where's  the  money,  Jinks  ?  "  Tommy 
demanded  as  Jinks  came  out  the  gate  that  Sis  si- 
lently held  open  for  him. 

"  I  ain't  got  no  money,"  said  Jinks  dully. 

"  Didn't  he  —  didn't  he  give  you  nothing?  " 
Disappointment  was  keen  in  Tommy's  voice. 

"  I  never  wanted  no  money  nor  no  nothing  for 
—  Bat,  Tommy  Bates!"  exploded  Jinks,  with  a 
growing  hostility  in  his  glance. 

Spiritual  prods  are  not  always  popular  with  the 
prodded,  it  matters  not  what  an  inner  up-lift  may 
grow  out  of  their  application.  Like  blisters, 
their  beneficial  results  are  more  appreciated  after 
their  removal,  both  from  mind  and  body. 

u  Gee !  I  say,  Jinks,  what  did  you  give  him  up 
for,  then?"  Tommy  fastened  an  inquisitorial 
black  eye  on  Jinks. 

"  Cause, —  cause,  cross-my-heart-hope-I-may- 
die,  Tommy  Bates,  I  never  wanted  no  dog,  nor 

179 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

you,  either,  in  my  inside!  Now  you  let  me 
alone !  "  Jinks  turned  his  back  square  upon 
Tommy  as  he  spoke. 

"  I  say,  Jinks,  you  can  ride  my  pony  home !  " 
twittered  Billy  King,  adoring  admiration  in  his 
eyes. 

"  No,  he  won't!  "  said  Sis,  pulling  the  silk  muf- 
fler about  Billy's  throat  close  up  under  his  trans- 
parent little  ears.  "  You  just  get  right  on  that 
pony  and  hike  for  home  your  very  own  self!  You 
are  so  near  froze  now  that  you  don't  look  more 
than  half  alive." 

Billy  shook  his  tow  head,  as  he  moved  obediently 
towards  the  pony.  "  I  ain't,"  he  said  cheerfully 
as  Sis  helped  him  to  mount,  "  I  ain't,  Sis,  in  my 
arms  and  legs  and  back  and  things;  but  I'm  just 
awfully  alive  here  in  my  middle.  It's  mighty  curi- 
ous, though,  for  the  harder  it  thumps  the  tireder 
I  get,  and  the  tireder  I  get  the  harder  it  thumps." 

Billy  was  gasping  with  fatigue  as  he  took 
the  reins  that  Sis  placed  in  his  gloved  fingers.  He 
did  not  mind  the  weariness  that  was  shaking  him 
from  head  to  feet  though,  for  an  inarticulate  pean 
was  vibrating  in  his  heart  because  he  felt  that  at 
last  he  had  become  one  of  the  elect, —  had  been 

180 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

deemed  worthy  a  place  in  the  brotherhood  of  Par- 
adise Alley,  though  but  for  a  brief  time. 

As  Billy  rode  slowly  away,  Sis  turned  to 
Tommy.  "  You  give  me  Jinks'  jacket,  Tommy 
Bates,"  she  ordered,  extending  her  hand.  "  He 
said  you  could  wear  it  out  here  and  I  could  wear 
it  back.  Now,  you  shuck!  " 

Tommy  backed  off,  protest  written  large  on  his 
face.  "  I  say,  Sis,  just  lemme  wear  it  to  the  first 
corner  yonder !  " 

Sis  followed  him,  fell  determination  in  her  big 
eyes.  "  Shuck,  I  tell  you  1  "  she  cried,  and,  land- 
ing a  stinging  slap  on  his  cheek  with  one  hand,  at 
the  same  moment  she  peeled  the  jacket  neatly  off 
of  him  with  the  other.  "  I'm  going  to  let  Jinks 
wear  it  the  first  half  of  the  way  home  and  I'll  wear 
it  the  last,  'cause  he'll  have  a  fire  to  warm  by  when 
he  gets  t'here,  and  I  won't,"  she  said,  passing  a 
small,  cold  hand  over  the  soft,  thick  garment  she 
held.  "  Me'n'  him  are  going  home  by  the  short 
cut  through  the  alleys,  but  you  ain't  going  with  us, 
Tommy  Bates,  not  a  step !  You  just  everlastingly 
git,  and  you  keep  right  straight  on  gitting  until 
you've  done  plum  got  out  of  my  sight!  " 


181 


CHAPTER  TEN 

"  I  have  heard  that  the  old  chap  keeps  his  cash 
right  in  the  house  all  the  time,  and  that  he  don't 
ever  go  to  the  bank  more'n  once  a  week,  and  fre- 
quent not  that  often.  He  thinks  that  nobody 
knows  about  the  piles  of  money  he  rakes  in  each 
day,  and  the  loads  of  it  he  has  around  him  con- 
stant, so  he  keeps  the  box  there  sometimes  until 
it's  so  full  it's  about  to  bust.  Jim  here,  he  used  to 
be  old  man  Flannigan's  porter,  and  he  knows." 

Three  men  and  a  boy  were  sitting  in  a  low,  dark 
room,  the  atmosphere  of  which  was  heavy  with  an 
earthy,  mouldy  odor  that  spoke  aloud  of  sunlight 
and  fresh  air  shut  out  and  dampness  and  gloom 
shut  in.  The  room  was  one  of  the  three  forming 
the  cellar  of  the  dingiest,  dirtiest,  most  lop-sided 
tenement  that  faced  on  Paradise  Alley.  It  was 
dimly  lighted  by  a  long,  narrow,  slit-like  window 
near  the  top,  the  sill  level  with  the  alley  that  ran 
along  the  side  of  the  building. 

The  first  speaker  was  a  low,  heavily  built  man, 
182 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

with  a  bullet  head  set  squarely  upon  a  thick,  bull- 
neck.  His  face  was  dark  and  lowering,  a 
deep  red  scar  that  extended  across  the  corner  of 
one  eye  up  into  his  close-cut  black  hair  adding  to 
the  natural  brutality  of  his  expression. 

The  other  man  was  evidently  one  who  drank 
heavily  and  often.  His  face  was  large  and  soft 
looking,  his  general  appearance  being  not  at  all 
unlike  that  of  a  big,  white  chestnut  worm.  His 
eyes  were  weak  and  inflamed,  and  his  porous  nose 
highly  tinted  with  a  queer  combination  of  red  and 
purple  mottlings. 

Jim,  who  had  been  referred  to  as  Peter  Flanni- 
gan's  one-time  porter,  was  black,  with  crafty  eyes 
and  a  giant's  form. 

The  boy  was  Toney  Little  1 

"  I  was  rat  dar  wid  Mr.  Flannigan  for  er  mont' 
las'  fall,  an'  I  have  seed  him  tote  dat  dar  cash 
box  up  ter  his  room  when  hit  war  so  hefty  he 
couldn't  hardly  hist  hit  from  de  floor  1  An'  sho's 
I'm  bawn,  every  thing  in  dat  dar  box  was  money, — 
jest  silver  or  gold  or  greenbacks!  Dat  what  hit 
was,  kase  onct  I  seed  in  hit  when  hit  was  open, — 
an'  de  sight  I  seed  am  a  staying  wid  me  yet! 
Silver  an'  gold  an'  greenbacks,  yes  sah!  Money, 

183 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

—  um-m-m-m  1  "     The  negro's  voice  was  low  and 
slushy. 

The  eyes  of  the  three  men  and  the  boy  all 
glared  with  the  hideous  light  of  greed  at  mention 
of  such  vast  stores  of  wealth. 

"  I've  been  in  Flannigan's  store  several  times 
just  to  take  a  look  around,"  said  Dink  Todd,  the 
man  with  the  scar.  "  And  it  strikes  me  that  it's 
just  about  the  tightest  crib  ever  I  tried  to  crack! 
The  cash  is  there  all  right, —  I've  hung  around 
enough  to  find  out  that  a  pile  of  it  is  paid  across 
his  counters  each  day, —  but  so  far  as  I  can  see  to 
get  our  fingers  on  it  we'll  have  to  blow  the  whole 
end  of  the  building  out,  and  then  more'n  likely 
send  the  old  boy  to  Kingdom  Come,  and  end  by 
getting  our  own  necks  stretched !  Not  any  of  that 
in  mine,  thank  you  1  " 

"  It's  bolted  and  barred  fit  to  be  a  jail,"  struck 
in  Burr  Dillard,  the  other  man.  "  I  went  there 
not  long  ago  to  buy  a  few  things, —  but  to  look 
mostly, —  and  I  looked  good  and  keen,  let  me  tell 
you,  for  I  have  had  my  eyes  on  that  cash  box  of 
Peter  Flannigan's  for  nigh  to  a  year/' 

'  Thar  ain't  arry  chanct  fer  us  to  git  in  by  de 
front  do',"  said  the  porter.     "  I  knows  dat  good 

184 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

and  well.  But  we  mought  make  hit  effen  we  could 
git  somebody  dat's  little  and  slippery  ter  go  over 
de  do'  in  de  back  whar  dar  ain't  no  light.  Hit's 
locked  wid  er  chain;  but  over  hit  dar  ain't  per- 
sackly  what  you'd  call  er  transom,  but  hit's  got 
er  little  narrer  place  clost  ter  de  top  ter  let  in  de 
air.  Hit's  to  narrer  fer  er  man  to  squoze  froo, 
or  even  him,  slim  built  as  he  is,"  nodding  towards 
Toney  Little,  "  but  er  rale  little  chap  mought  make 
hit.  Onct  in,  he  could  ondo  de  do'  and  let  in  de 
rest,  and  dar  we  is,  widout  nuffin  to  do  but  settle 
de  ole  man  and  make  off  wid  de  cash." 

Toney's  light,  ferret-eyes  gleamed.  "  I  be- 
lieve I've  got  it !  "  he  cried,  moving  over  close  to 
the  two  men.  "  I  know  a  little  chap  that  will  just 
exactly  fill  the  bill." 

"Who  is  it?"  demanded  Dink  Todd  sourly. 
"  It  seems  to  me  we've  got  two  too  many  in  this 
thing  now."  He  frowned  gloomily  at  Jim  and 
Toney. 

'  Then  you  git  out !     Me  and  Toney  here  was 

the  first  to  think  the  plan  up  1  "  snarled  Burr  Dil- 

lard,   who,    for   a   wonder,   was  perfectly  sober. 

'  We  took  you  in,  Dink  Todd,  because  you  was 

real  handy  with  the   saw   and  jimmy   and  was 

185 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

down  on  your  luck,  and  it  was  you  that  brought 
the  nigger  along  I  " 

"  Well,  there  ain't  any  use  in  getting  up  a  row 
about  it  now.  We  are  all  in  it,  or  we  are  all  out  of 
it.  Let's  know  who  it  is  Toney's  got  on  a  string." 
The  man  with  the  scar  spoke  harshly,  and  the 
other  at  once  quieted  down.  Dink  Todd's 
stronger  personality  made  him  easily  the  leader  of 
the  weaker  characters. 

"  It's  a  little  chap  named  Jinks,"  said  Toney. 
"  He  used  to  be  one  of  us,  but  now, —  Gee,  he 
surely  do  go  in  style !  Old  Flannigan's  plum  batty 
about  him.  Took  him  in  right  out  of  the  alley 
one  night  and  treats  him  like  he  was  his  own. 
Dresses  him  in  good,  whole  clothes  and  lets  him 
sleep  in  the  store  by  the  dandiest  stove  you  ever 
did  see!  It's  a  buster  1  I  know  I  can  get  hold 
of  Jinks,  and  we  can  make  him  go  through  that 
hole  over  the  top  of  the  door.  He's  little  and 
skinny,  and,  of  course,  seeing  he  lives  there,  he'll 
know  all  about  them  bolts  and  chains  that  hold 
the  door  shet.  Once  he  gets  in, —  why,  there  we 
are,  too.  See?  " 

"But  —  will  the  kid  do  it?"  asked  the  man 
with  the  scar. 

186 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Toney  grinned,  an  evil  light  coming  into  his 
eyes.  "  He's  been  in  our  gang  since  he  was  so 
high,"  measuring  about  a  foot  from  the  floor  with 
his  hand.  "  He  ain't  no  saint,  if  he  does  try  to 
come  the  soft  slush  over  old  Flannigan.  If  he 
ain't  happy  about  the  idea, —  I  guess  you  can  tan 
his  hide  for  him  a  few  times,  and  help  him  to 
change  his  mind." 

"  You  surely  ain't  got  a  weasel  eye  for  nothing, 
Bud,"  said  the  gentleman  addressed.  He  looked 
with  genuine  admiration  at  Toney  as  he  spoke. 
"  I  tell  you  what  —  some  day  you'll  make  your 
fortune  as  a  cracksman  if  you  don't  happen  to  get 
that  stringy  neck  of  yours  stretched  before  you 
are  many  years  older." 

Toney  Little  grinned  and  wriggled,  well  pleased 
at  what  he  regarded  as  the  greatest  compliment  he 
had  ever  received. 

"  Dat's  er  fine  idee,"  chimed  in  Jim,  showing 
all  his  white  teeth  in  a  broad  grin.  "  When  I 
was  dar  I  diskivered  dat  Mr.  Flannigan  keeps  de 
cash  box  rat  under  de  head  of  his  own  bed  at 
night.  He  don't  have  no  watchman,  but  he  sho' 
am  got  er  bustin'  big  gun  what  he  lays  on  de  table 
by  de  bed,  so's  it  will  be  dar  handy.  It  may  be 

187 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

dat  he's  done  changed  de  hiding  place  of  de  cash 
sence  den.  But  effen  he  am  de  little  chap  can  tell 
us." 

The  other  three  nodded  and  exchanged  pleased 
glances.  Jinks'  value  was  going  up  rapidly. 

"  I  think  we  can  make  this  haul  as  easy  as  fall- 
ing off  a  log  if  the  little  chap  Toney's  talking 
about  is  slim  enough  to  be  stuck  through  that 
opening."  Dink  Todd  had  suddenly  lost  his  sour 
looks  and  was  leaning  forward,  his  face  flushed, 
—  his  eyes  alight.  "  And  as  I'm  dead  broke  and 
Burr  ain't  got  but  one  dollar  in  the  world,  I  think 
we'd  better  get  this  thing  fixed  up  right  away. 
The  sooner  it's  done  the  better,  say  I." 

"  The  sooner  the  better,"  echoed  Burr  Dil- 
lard. 

"  Rat  erway's  de  best  time  fer  me,"  said  Jim. 

"  That  there  Jinks  is  getting  so  fat  he'll 
soon  be  too  big  to  go  through  the  hole  over  the 
door,"  grinned  Toney.  "  I  better  bag  him  right 
away." 

Four  heads  were  at  once  clustered  close  to- 
gether; four  minds  were  soon  working  busily, 
planning,  and  when  the  quartet  parted,  each  to  go 
his  separate  way,  the  robbery  was  all  arranged. 

188 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  I  hope  you  ain't  a-holding  it  up  agin  me, 
Jinks,  the  way  I  did  the  other  day  about  them 
things  to  eat  in  Flannigan's  wagon,  you  recollict." 
Toney  Little  came  up  beside  Jinks  the  morning 
after  the  meeting  in  Burr  Dillard's  cellar.  The 
smaller  boy  was  sitting  on  the  back  step  of  the 
store,  as  was  his  daily  custom,  waiting  for  Jake 
to  start  off  on  his  rounds.  His  elbows  were  on 
his  knees,  his  chin  in  his  palms,  and  he  was  look- 
ing hard  at  the  ground. 

Only  the  day  before  had  Jinks  taken  Bat  to  his 
home,  and  the  boy's  heart  felt  like  a  lump  of  lead 
in  his  breast.  This  was  the  first  trip  he  had  ever 
made  in  the  delivery  wagon  unaccompanied  by  the 
dog,  whose  coming  into  his  bleak  life  had  first 
lighted  the  spark  far  inside  that  was  widening 
daily  into  something  bigger  and  deeper  and  higher 
than  the  child,  as  yet,  possessed  any  conscious 
means  of  realizing. 

"  I'd  sure  hate  awful,  Jinks,  to  think  that  you 
was  mad  at  me."  Toney  grinned  insinuatingly, 
at  the  same  time  backing  around  close  against  the 
wall  so  that  he  could  not  be  seen  from  the  rear 
window. 

Jinks  looked  up  with  a  start  that  was  promptly 
189 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

followed  by  a  smile  of  welcome.  "  I  ain't, 
though  I  was  awful  sorry  you  done  it,  Toney,"  he 
said.  Then  suddenly  becoming  painfully  con- 
scious of  his  own  warm,  comfortable  clothing  and 
Toney's  miserable  rags,  Jinks  added  hurriedly, 
"  Betcher  life  it  must  'a'  looked  good !  But  I 
hope  you  and  Tommy  won't  take  nothing  else 
from  Mr.  Flannigan.  He  trusts  folks,  Toney. 
He  thinks  they  are  white  I  " 

Jinks'  dark-lashed  eyes  were  bluer  than  Toney 
had  ever  seen  them,  and  in  his  clear  voice  there 
vibrated  a  note  of  haunting  sadness  that  had  crept 
into  it  since  the  day  before. 

Toney  Little  hung  his  head.  He  looked  as 
unhappy  as  he  could.  It  was  rather  difficult, 
though,  for  he  was  almost  bursting  with  unholy 
laughter  at  the  way  his  carefully  formed  plan  was 
working  out. 

"  I'll  tell  you  something,  Jinks,  what  I  wouldn't 
near  tell  to  any  of  the  other  boys.  I  was  pretty 
nigh  starved  to  death  that  day,  cross-my-heart,  if  I 
ain't  a-telling  you  the  gospel  truth !  I  was  just 
most  froze  as  stiff  as  a  bone,  too.  Of  course  you 
don't  know  nothing  about  such  things  now,  but 
you  ain't  forgot,  have  you,  how  it  feels  to  be  so 

190 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

cold  all  your  bones  aches,  and  so  hungry  it  just 
seems  like  there  ain't  nothing  to  you  but  your 
middle,  and  that  that  ain't  got  nothing  in  it?  " 

Jinks'  slim,  little  body  quivered.  All  the  light 
died  out  of  his  large  eyes.  His  small  face  grew 
drawn  and  sharp  as  memory  seized  him  in  its 
grip  and  gave  him  a  merciless  wring.  "  I  ain't 
forgot,  Toney,"  he  said.  "  I  think  freezing  and 
starving  is  things  that  folks  never  can  stop  re- 
membering about,  they  hurt  so  bad.  We  don't 
ever,  never  forget  what  we've  felt  right  in  our 
own  selfs, —  do  we,  Toney?"  he  asked,  with  a 
sudden  perfect  mental  conception  of  experience's 
thorough  teaching,  though  the  power  of  expres- 
sion had  not  yet  developed  sufficiently  for  him  to 
put  it  in  adequate  words. 

Toney  nodded.  "  I  just  knew  you  was  the 
kind  to  remember  and  to  feel  for  your  old  friends 
that  ain't  had  as  soft  a  bed  to  drop  in  as  you 
have !  I  don't  care  for  most  folks  to  know  about 
how  cold  and  hungry  I  get,  but  Gee!  I  don't 
mind  telling  you,  Jinks, —  not  nothing!  You  see, 
you've  always  been  such  a  jolly,  good  feller! 
You've  got  a  lot  of  sand,  too.  Tommy  now  — 
why,  Tommy  Bates  ain't  got  er  bit  of  grit!  He 

191 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

gits  plum  daffy  when  he  gits  scared,  and  so  does 
Bud." 

"I  —  I  think  Tommy's  a  pretty  good  sort  of 
chap,"  said  Jinks.  "  Unless  he  sets  on  your  in- 
side," he  added  after  a  pause. 

"  You  just  let  me  know  when  he  tries  to  set  on 
you !  "  blustered  Toney.  '  You  tell  me  about  it, 
Jinks,  and  I'll  smash  him  inter  a  jelly!  That's 
what  I'll  do  for  him !  You  are  too  sandy  a  little 
chap  for  such  a  feller  as  Tommy  to  even  try  to 
set  on !  "  Toney's  thin  face  flushed  with  the  gen- 
erosity of  his  offer. 

"  He  dassent  try  to  set  on  my  outside,"  said 
Jinks.  "  If  he  does  I'll  blodgy  his  nose." 

"  Of  course  you  will!"  encouraged  Toney. 
"  You  are  the  dandiest  little  cuss  in  a  shindy  ever 
I  did  see.  You  can  beat  Tommy  any  day.  And 
Bud,  too.  I  just  believe  maybe  you  might  do 
Sis  up  if  you  was  to  try  real  hard,  though  that 
Sis, —  that  Sis, —  she  just  ain't  no  feller!  She's 
a  plum  scratching  devil,  that's  what  that  there 
Sis  is !  "  The  bitterness  of  many  past  experi- 
ences tinctured  Toney's  voice  with  vinegar  when 
he  mentioned  Sis,  eliminating  entirely  its  previous 
oily  smoothness. 

192 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  You  just  better  not  go  to  calling  Sis  no  names, 
Toney  Little!  If  you  do  I'll  jump  right  slap- 
bang  on  to  you  and  blodgy  your  nose  good  and 
plenty !  "  Jinks'  face  flushed,  and  his  red  head 
bobbed  threateningly  at  Toney. 

"  I  ain't  a-saying  nothing  mean  about  Sis," 
explained  Toney,  hurrying  to  cover  his  error.  "  I 
was  a-meaning  it  nice,  Jinks,  cross-my-heart  I 
was!  I  jest  meant  I  ain't  ever,  never  in  all  my 
days  seen  such  a  scrapper  as  that  Sis  is.  She 
sure  can  everlastingly  put  anybody  right  out  of 
business  in  no  time  when  she  'lights  on  'em." 

Jinks  grinned  appreciatingly.  "  You  see  her 
that  time  she  done  up  Bud  for  knocking  over  a 
whole  lot  of  them  there  Banny  twins?  "  he  asked, 
his  eyes  bright  with  honest  admiration  for  Sis's 
pugilistic  skill.  "  She  jumped  right  ker-slap  on 
Bud  and  clawed  his  jaw  until  it  was  plum  skun, 
and  chunked  him  in  the  stummick  so's  he  never  had 
no  wind  left  to  work  his  breather  with.  Sis  sure 
is  a  terror!  I  tell  you  when  she  gets  a-going 
good  she  just  everlastingly  gives  you  the  hops 
right  in  your  middle." 

"  She  sure  is,  and  she  just  does !  Don't  nobody 
or  nothing  come  up  to  her,"  agreed  Toney  with 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

alacrity.  "  But  I  tell  you  what,  Jinks,  ain't  a  one 
of  'em  got  you  bested!  " 

44  Tommy's  a  pretty  good  fighter!  "  said  Jinks. 
He  liked  Tommy.  He  swelled  with  pride, 
though,  at  Toney  Little's  unstinted  praise. 

Toney  came  a  bit  nearer  the  boy  on  the  step. 
He  brought  his  lips  close  to  Jinks'  ear.  "  I  got 
a  mighty  big  secrit  to  tell  you,"  he  said.  "  You 
are  the  only  one  of  the  fellers  I'd  let  into  it." 

"  I  say,  Toney, —  what's  it  about?  "  demanded 
Jinks  eagerly.  u  Does  Tommy  know,  or  Bud, 
or  Sis?" 

Toney  shook  his  head  and  glanced  about  him 
cautiously.  The  rear  door  was  closed, —  no  one 
was  in  sight. 

"  Jake  won't  be  here  for  a  long  time,"  encour- 
aged Jinks.  "  He's  got  a  lot  of  orders  to  fill. 
I  came  out  early  because, —  I  like  it  out  here." 
He  ended  lamely,  not  caring  to  say  that  he  had 
run  away  from  the  empty  kindling  box. 

l<  I  declare  to  gracious,  Jinks,  if  I  don't  believe 
I've  done  caught  something  from  you !  Your  in- 
side's  always  a-bothering  you,  and,  cross-my-heart, 
if  there  ain't  something  wrong  with  mine!" 
Toney  cocked  his  head  on  one  side  as  though  lis- 

194 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

tening  for  a  voice  from  within  to  speak.  "  I'm 
a-thinking  hard  of  mending  my  ways."  The  last 
words  were  whispered,  and  as  he  uttered  them 
Toney  hung  his  head. 

"Get  it  cleaned  out  right  away,  Toney!" 
nodded  Jinks,  a  bright  glow  coming  into  his  face, 
his  big  eyes  shining.  He  knew  all  about  the 
remedy  he  recommended.  He  had  tried  it,  and 
though  it  had  caught  him  by  the  nape  of  the  neck, 
as  it  were,  and  hauled  him  up  some  steep  places,  it 
had  on  the  whole  worked  beautifully.  In  his  in- 
terest Jinks  got  up  and  placed  his  hand  on  Toney's 
arm.  All  the  unkind  treatment  he  had  received 
a  few  days  before  was  forgotten  in  the  sudden 
flood  of  good  fellowship  that  swept  over  him. 

"  My  Mr.  Flannigan  will  help  you !  "  he  said, 
and  it  was  a  pity  Peter  could  not  have  heard  the 
little  thrill  of  happy  pride  in  the  clear,  sweet 
voice.  "  He  knows  just  everything  in  the  whole 
world,  Toney,  and  will  fix  it  all  right  as  soon  as 
ever  you  tell  him." 

"  I'd  like  mighty  well  to  tell  you  all  about  it, 
Jinks,  but  not  him,"  said  Toney,  rather  taken 
aback  at  this  sudden  arrangement  for  cleaning 
him  up.  He  had  not  planned  to  have  Peter  take 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

a  hand  at  the  proposed  cleansing.  "  He  don't 
know  nothing  about  me  but  the  bad,  you  see,  and 
I'd  ruther  not  come  nigh  him  just  yet  awhile. 
After  I  tell  you,  why,  you  can  tell  him  for  me. 
See?"  Toney  whispered. 

Jinks  nodded  eagerly.  "  You  just  hop  right 
slap  dab  into  it  and  tell  me,"  he  said. 

Toney  hesitated,  looking  about  him  fearfully. 

"  I'm  just  scared  somebody'll  hear  me,"  he 
said.  "  You  know,  Jinks,  when  a  feller's  been 
used  to  swiping  things  and  such,  it's  a  turrible  big 
pull  to  quit  it  all  to  once.  And  I'm  plum  feerd 
the  other  boys'll  laugh  and  jolly  me  about  it  when 
they  find  it  out.  I  tell  you  what !  We'll  just  go 
a  little  ways  down  the  Alley  here,  and  talk  com- 
fortable. I  got  a  place  where  I  been  sleeping 
lately.  I  want  you  to  see  it  anyway.  It's  mighty 
cold  and  bare,  but  it  sure  does  seem  elegant  to 
Tommy  Bates  and  me  after  we  been  sleeping  on  the 
streets  so  long.  A  kind  man  let  us  have  it  for 
nothing.  You  ain't  grew  too  proud  to  go  with 
me,  have  you?"  Toney  turned  reproachful  eyes 
upon  Jinks'  face. 

"  You  know  I  ain't,  Toney,"  he  said.  "  Git 
along!  I'll  be  plum  tickled  to  go  with  you.  I'd 

196 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

better  tell  Jake,  so's  he  won't  wait  for  me, 
though." 

Toney  seized  Jinks'  sleeve  as  he  turned  to- 
wards the  door.  "  La,  no,  there  ain't  any  use 
in  that!"  he  said  hurriedly.  "It'll  just  take  a 
minute  and  we'll  be  back  long  before  he  comes 
out.  Anyway,  it's  real  close  by  and  we  can  hear 
him  when  he  starts  putting  the  things  in  the 
wagon." 

"  All  right, —  come  on,  fast's  you  can  I  "  Jinks 
hopped  out  into  the  Alley  on  one  foot,  glancing 
back  over  his  shoulder  at  the  older  boy  with  the 
quick,  flashing  smile  that  was  characteristic  of  him. 
Toney  turned  his  head  aside  to  hide  the  grin  that 
contorted  his  face. 

"  All  right,  Jinks,"  he  said,  starting  down  the 
Alley.  "  It's  mighty  kind  of  you  to  come.  It's 
just  around  this  corner  here,  in  Burr  Dillard's 
cellar." 


197 


CHAPTER  ELEVEN 

A  week  had  gone  by  since  the  morning  Toney 
Little  had  invited  Jinks  to  go  to  his  room  in  Para- 
dise Alley.  It  was  late  afternoon,  and  the  setting 
sun  peered  into  the  gloomy,  vault-like  room  in 
Burr  Dillard's  cellar,  sending  a  long,  slender  shaft 
of  gold  to  lie  across  the  dim,  cob-webby  ceiling. 
For  a  second  only  each  day  did  the  sun's  ray 
gleam  upon  the  dark,  damp  walls,  but  as  light 
ever  does,  it  revealed  many  things  during  that 
transitory  moment. 

The  ray  of  gold  was  faint  and  fleeting,  but  it 
was  strong  enough  and  it  stayed  long  enough  to 
show  a  child's  figure  huddled  against  the  wall  in 
the  farthest  corner  of  the  room.  A  man  sat  near 
on  a  wooden  stool,  a  long,  black  whip  lying  across 
his  knees.  The  ray  of  light  rested  full  upon  him 
as  it  disappeared,  traveling  from  his  head  to  his 
shoulders.  Gloom  speedily  enveloped  him,  but 
the  revealing  ray  had  shown  clearly  the  scar 
on  the  evil  face,  the  small  glittering  eyes,  the 

198 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

sneering  mouth,  shielded  by  a  thick  black  mous- 
tache. 

"  I'm  getting  cussed  tired  of  your  stubbornness, 
youngster !  "  Dink  Todd  cracked  the  whip  in  the 
air  as  he  spoke.  "  I've  been  working  on  you  con- 
stant for  a  week,  and  I'll  tell  you  now, —  you 
might  as  well  give  in  and  say  you'll  do  as  you  are 
told,  for  I  mean  to  cut  obedience  into  you  with 
this  sooner  or  later." 

Jinks  shivered  as  the  whip  again  hissed  through 
the  air  with  its  shrilling  song.  He  shrank  farther 
from  the  man  along  the  wall,  moving  slowly  and 
with  difficulty,  as  though  his  limbs  were  either 
cramped  or  sore.  The  faint,  gray  light  of  the  cel- 
lar showed  that  he  was  in  rags, —  the  rags  of  his 
new  clothes,  which  were  torn  into  ribbons.  And 
Jinks  was  in  quite  as  sad  a  plight  as  his  garments. 
A  dark  bruise  discolored  one  entire  cheek  and 
where  the  shirt  had  been  pulled  loose  in  front,  an 
ugly  gash  showed  on  his  breast. 

"  Will  you  let  up  in  your  stubbornness  and  do 
as  I  tell  you?  "  demanded  Dink,  rising  to  his  feet 
and  placing  a  heavy  hand  upon  Jinks'  shoulder. 
"  Are  you  ready  to  give  me  your  promise?  " 

A  long  shiver  ran  through  Jinks'  battered  little 
199 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

anatomy.  His  eyes  turned  towards  the  whip  in 
Dink  Todd's  hand,  with  an  expression  of  fas- 
cinated terror,  strange  and  new  in  their  blue  depths. 
Then  slowly  his  glance  met  the  man's,  fair  and 
square.  "  I  ain't  a-going  to  bust  open  none  of 
Mr.  Flannigan's  doors  for  you  to  get  in  by! 
Cross-my-heart  I  ain't,  not  if  you  cuts  me  into  hash 
every  day !  "  he  said  defiantly. 

A  hideous  curse  rapped  into  the  silence  of  the 
cellar.  "  You  little  gutter  rat !  I'll  teach  you  to 
defy  your  betters  I  Take  that, —  and  that, —  and 
that!" 

Roused  to  a  brutish  fury  that  increased  with 
each  blow  he  struck,  Dink  Todd  wielded  the  ter- 
rible black  whip  until  too  tired  to  lift  it  more. 
Then  he  threw  the  half  conscious  child  back 
against  the  wall,  and  dropped  down  again  upon 
his  wooden  stool.  With  his  legs  crossed,  elbow 
on  knee  and  chin  in  palm,  he  sat  a  moment, 
staring  in  silence  at  the  ragged  little  figure  before 
him. 

Jinks  was  leaning  against  the  wall,  his  hands 
pressed  hard  against  the  stones  on  either  side  of 
him.  They  were  props,  for  he  had  reached  the 
state  where  outer  support  was  necessary.  His  will 

200 


J 
JINKS'        INSIDE 

could  no  longer  steady  his  trembling  knees,  nor 
strengthen  the  legs  that  felt  like  cotton  strings. 

"  I'll  be  darned  if  you  ain't  a  game  little  cuss !  " 
There  was  a  note  of  very  genuine  admiration  in 
Dink's  voice.  "  Honest, —  I  hate  to  hurt  you." 
As  he  spoke  he  made  the  black  whip  sing  through 
the  air. 

"  You  ain't  ever,  never  teched  me! "  cried 
Jinks,  his  voice  quivery  from  exhaustion  and 
pain,  but  still  hauntingly  sweet  and  clear.  '  You 
ain't, —  you  ain't, —  you  CAN'T!  It's  jest  my  skin 
you've  hurt,  for  if  you  beat  and  beat  for  ever  and 
ever  and  ever,  you  can't  never  get  to  me  1  "  A 
queer  minor  chord  of  triumph  vibrated  in  the 
boy's  voice,  as  he  declared  his  safety.  In  a 
strange,  sub-conscious  way,  the  gutter  child  had 
learned,  while  in  Burr  Dillard's  cellar,  one  of  the 
greatest  spiritual  truths, —  the  absolute  security 
from  all  outward  harm  of  the  God-Spark  within. 
Jinks  knew, —  though  as  yet  in  a  blind,  unreason- 
ing way, —  that  his  inner  being  lay  far  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  brutalized  creature  before  him,  who 
could  never  harm  it, —  never  see  it, —  never  rec- 
ognize it. 

Dink  Todd  rose  to  his  feet,  his  face  black  with 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

the  baffled,  impotent  rage  of  the  lower  creature, 
when  it  realizes  its  powerlessness  to  injure  the 
higher.  "  I'd  beat  your  little  carcass  into  a  jelly 
if  I  wasn't  too  tired!  "  he  said,  snarling  like  a  wolf. 
"  But  you  wait,  curse  you  —  you  wait!  For  I'll 
break  you  yet  if  I  have  to  kill  you !  " 

Dink  strode  from  the  room,  locking  the  door 
behind  him.  Jinks  stood  motionless,  leaning 
against  the  wall,  his  small  face  white  and  defiant, 
until  the  last  sound  of  the  retreating  footsteps  had 
died  in  the  distance.  All  his  show  of  bravery  dis- 
appeared then  and  he  became  just  a  suffering  child, 
alone  with  his  pain.  Crumpling  up,  he  slipped 
down  to  the  stone  floor,  and  lay  huddled  there,  a 
little,  quivering,  sobbing  heap. 

Peter  Flannigan  had  always  fit  his  skin  with  a 
smooth  and  prosperous  tightness,  but  in  the  weeks 
that  followed  Jinks'  disappearance  it  grew  too 
loose  for  him,  and  hung  about  his  giant  body  in 
queer  puffs  and  folds. 

Peter  had  searched  far  and  wide  for  the  missing 
boy  without  any  result.  No  one  had  seen  Jinks 
after  he  left  the  store  that  early  morning  to  wait 
on  the  rear  step  for  Jake.  From  that  moment  he 


IN  THE  WEEKS  THAT  FOLLOWED  JINKS'  DISAPPEARANCE 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

had  disappeared  as  completely  and  silently  as 
though  the  earth  had  opened  and  swallowed  him 
up. 

"  He  isn't  worth  looking  for,  Mr.  Flannigan," 
said  one  of  the  clerks  to  Peter.  "  He's  gone  back 
to  his  old  haunts, —  that  kind  always  will,  you 
know.  They  are  bad, —  all  the  way  through." 

Peter  shook  his  big,  shaggy  head  unbelievingly. 
After  that,  though,  he  spoke  no  more  of  the  boy 
to  those  about  him.  He  knew  better  than  they, 
he  thought, —  his  trust  had  not  been  misplaced,— 
the  boy  would  come  back.  He  had  not  forgotten 
the  child  who  came  creeping  into  his  room  in  the 
gray  dawn  to  sob  out  a  voluntary  confession  of 
all  the  things  that  he  had  done.  Peter  also  re- 
membered, with  a  queer  pang,  the  expression  that 
had  been  in  the  clear,  blue  eyes  raised  to  his  from 
the  shielding  folds  of  his  own  white  apron  that 
morning  in  the  rear  of  the  store.  Possibly  best 
of  all  did  he  remember  the  overheard  night  inter- 
view with  the  brown  dog  in  the  kindling  box,— 
the  determined  little  figure  trudging  away  next 
morning  bearing  its  all, —  the  tragic  faced  one  that 
came  back,  empty  handed,  several  hours  later. 

Peter  said  nothing  of  these  things  to  any  one. 
203 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

He  had  always  been  a  silent  man,  living  his  life 
alone,  expression  never  having  come  to  him  save 
through  his  violin.  So  he  jealously  gathered  up 
his  few  little  comfort-bits,  and,  tucking  them  in 
a  memory  corner,  looked  them  over  in  a  compan- 
ionable sort  of  way  each  night  as  he  sat  alone  in 
the  arm-chair  by  the  big  stove, —  the  so-empty 
kindling  box  on  the  right  of  him,  its  gray  blankets 
carefully  arranged,  that  they  might  be  all  ready 
should  they  be  needed  unexpectedly. 

The  days  lengthened  out  into  a  week,  each  one 
dropping  into  its  night  with  a  dragging  thump  that 
seemed  to  Peter  Flannigan  like  the  audible  clang 
of  a  ball  and  chain. 

The  only  encouragement  that  had  come  to  Peter 
during  the  week  drifted  his  way  from  a  totally 
unexpected  source.  He  called  Sis  in  a  few  days 
after  Jinks  disappeared,  as  he  saw  her  wandering 
disconsolately  through  the  Alley.  Sis  was  lonely, 
for  she  missed  Jinks,  and,  as  she  had  turned  a 
disdainful  shoulder  towards  Tommy  ever  since 
the  day  the  dog  was  carried  home,  she  was  com- 
panionless. 

She  came  over  to  the  store  door  very  willingly 
in  response  to  Peter's  call.  There  had  been  a 

204 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

truce  between  them  ever  since  the  filling  of  the  lit- 
tle Bannys'  paper  bags  on  Christmas  day.  When 
she  came  up  to  the  step  Peter  asked  her  views 
about  Jinks  with  a  humble  trust  in  her  opinion, 
that  would  have  seemed  queer  indeed  to  any  who 
knew  the  past  relations  that  had  existed  between 
the  sturdy  storekeeper,  and  the  little  vixen  of  Para- 
dise Alley. 

"  He  ain't  run  away,  Mr.  Flannigan,"  said  Sis 
with  a  promptness  that  brought  Peter  out  the  door 
and  down  on  the  step.  "  No,  Sir,  sure-pop,  Jinks 
ain't  run  away !  He  may  have  went, —  or  he  may 
have  been  took,  but  he  never  run!  Why,  Mr. 
Flannigan,  Jinks  was  that  batty  about  you  he  just 
thought  you  knew  everything!  " 

"  But  —  who  took  him,  Sis, —  and,  sure  now, 
where  could  he  have  gone?"  Peter  repeated  to 
the  child  the  question  that  he  had  asked  himself 
ceaselessly  for  days  until  it  seemed  to  him  to  have 
positively  become  a  thing  with  tangible  form  in 
the  atmosphere  about  him. 

With  all  his  asking  Peter  had  found  no*  answer 
to  his  query  anywhere.  Not  so  with  Sis,  who 
handed  him  one  promptly.  "  It's  his  inside, — 
somehow  I  know  it  is,"  she  said  without  a  second's 

205 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

hesitation.  "  I  thought  that  up  last  night  after 
Mrs.  Banny  told  me  he  was  gone.  He  ain't  run, 
Mr.  Flannigan,  I  plum  know  he  ain't, —  but  if  he 
has,  just  you  wait  until  I  catch  him!"  From 
Sis's  great,  gray  eyes  battle  sparks  began  to  fly. 
"  If  I  don't  settle  him  all  right!  I'll  everlast- 
ingly claw  his  jaw,  and  pinch  his  year  and  chunk 
him  in  the  stummick's  hard's  ever  I  can,  Mr.  Flan- 
nigan, cross-my-heart  I  will!  He  ain't  run, 
though." 

"  But  where  can  he  be,  Sis?  "  said  Peter,  repeat- 
ing the  old  question  with  parrot-like  insistence. 

"  I  dunno."  Sis  shook  her  fly-away  locks.  "  I 
dunno  yet,  but  bet  your  life  I'll  find  him!  Cross- 
my-heart,  Mr.  Flannigan,  if  me'n'  Tommy  don't 
smell  Jinks  out  if  he's  anywhere  in  a  mile  of 
Paradise  Alley  1" 

Peter  found  comfort  in  Sis's  words, —  but  an 
even  greater  mental  brace  in  her  head-shake,  and 
in  the  faith  that  seemed  to  radiate  from  every  fly- 
ing tatter  of  her  ragged  skirts  as  she  departed. 

The  second  week  after  Jinks'  disappearance 
drew  heavily  to  a  close,  and  still  no  news  of  the 
missing  boy  had  reached  Peter.  The  big  Irish- 
man had  grown  pale  and  haggard  under  the  long 

206 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

mental  strain,  and  his  temper  pepper  flew  until  the 
nerves  of  every  clerk  in  the  store  seemed  to  water 
at  the  eyes  and  have  chronic  sneezing  fits.  The 
atmosphere  was  highly  charged,  and  all  those  who 
worked  for  him  left  him  to  himself  as  much  as 
possible,  staying  out  of  his  way  during  the  day, 
and  hastening  off  each  night  at  the  very  earliest 
possible  moment. 

Thus  it  was  that  Peter  stood  alone  in  the  grocery 
department  late  one  afternoon  when  the  rear  door 
opened  and  Mrs.  Banny  came  flitting  in  like  a 
string  shadow.  She  had  never  made  her  small 
purchases  at  Peter's  big  store,  patronizing  the 
small  shops  that  stuck  like  warts  on  the  various 
corners  of  Paradise  Alley.  Sis  had  suggested  that 
Mrs.  Banny's  trade  might  be  of  some  assistance  in 
brightening  the  big  storekeeper's  spirits,  so  the  lit- 
tle caretaker  laid  a  five-cent  piece  on  the  counter 
before  Peter,  who  was  leaning  back  against  the 
shelves,  his  arms  folded  across  his  great  breast, 
his  glance  fastened  unseeingly  upon  the  floor. 

"  Yes,  Sir,  it's  five  cents'  worth  of  coffee,  please, 
Mr.  Flannigan,"  said  Mrs.  Banny.  "  It  ain't,  so 
to  speak,  the  place  it  usually  takes  'em  in,  but  I'd 
like  the  coffee  so's  I  can  get  her  settled  and  going 

207 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

straight  before  morning,  for  seeing  it's  got  her  in 
'em  bad,  it  stands  to  reason  she'd  better  be  looked 
after." 

"Eh?"  said  Peter,  coming  out  of  his  abstrac- 
tion with  a  jump. 

"  Yes,  Sir,"  repeated  Mrs.  Banny,  backing  her 
way  steadily  towards  the  end  of  what  she  had  to 
say.  "  Yes,  Sir  —  as  I  said,  it  don't  usually  take 
'em  in  the  legs,  but  Granny  Tate's  worse  than 
common,  which  it  stands  to  reason  she  would  b.e, 
Mr.  Flannigan,  her  being  drunk  for  nearly  a 
month  constant." 

"  I  see,"  nodded  Peter.  "  Sure  now,  Mistress 
Banny,  but  that  old  woman  does  lead  Sis  a  terrible 
life  of  it." 

Mrs.  Banny  sat  down  in  a  weary  pile  on  top  of 
the  dill-pickle  keg,  and  wiped  her  nose  on  her 
apron.  "  It  ain't,  so  to  speak,  the  leading  she 
does,  Mr.  Flannigan,  if  she'd  leave  be  the  kick- 
ing. Five  nights  Sis  have  slept  on  the  floor  in  the 
passage,  and  me  not  knowing  a  thing  about  it 
until  to-day,  nor  Maudine  either,  which  last  I'm 
real  grateful  for,  since  she's  cross-eyed  and  sees 
kinder  double,  it  stands  to  reason  she'd  'a'  had 
more  of  Sis  than  she  could  have  took  easy." 

208 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  I  should  rather  think  so,"  agreed  Peter. 

"  Yes,  Sir,  for  Sis  took  once  is,  so  to  speak,  as- 
tonishing,—  and  what  she'd  be  double  it  stands  to 
reason  ain't  anybody  able  to  say."  Mrs.  Banny 
wiped  her  nose  again,  and  then  turned  her 
little,  crumpled  face  towards  Peter,  kindly  interest 
in  her  faded  eyes.  "  And  the  boy,  now, —  have 
you  got  any  news  of  him  yet,  Mr.  Flannigan?  " 

"  Not  a  word,  Mistress  Banny, —  devil  a  bit 
of  a  word!  "  Much  of  Peter's  inner  pain  rang  in 
his  voice,  which  was  croaky  and  very  unlike  his 
usual  hearty  boom.  "  And  there  do  be  many, 
now,  who  say  I'll  never  hear.  It's  hard,  indeed, 
Ma'am,  after  I  fed  him  and  sheltered  him  and 
cared  for  him  as  me  own,  to  have  him  stay  away 
like  this  with  never  a  word.  I  was  his  friend,  and 
sure  'tis  meself  that  thought  he  was  mine  as  well." 
Peter  had  brooded  over  his  sorrow  until  it  had 
become  hard  for  him  to  keep  the  scales  of  justice 
perfectly  balanced.  He  was  suffering  from  a  mild 
attack  of  self-pity,  a  queer,  miasmatic  germ,  in- 
deed, to  have  found  entrance  in  the  healthy  mental- 
ity of  Peter  Flannigan  1 

Mrs.  Banny  did  not  reply  at  once,  but  sat  on 
top  of  the  dill-pickle  keg,  thoughtfully  polishing 

209 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

the  end  of  her  nose  with  her  apron,  her  tightly 
puckered  mouth  moving  steadily  in  and  out  as 
though  holding  converse  with  some  invisible  pres- 
ence. 

"And  supposing  Jinks  ain't  your  friend  no 
longer,  Mr.  Flannigan, —  supposing  he  have  run 
away, — "  she  said  at  last,  her  dim  eyes  meeting 
Peter's  gloomy  ones  with  something  in  their  faded 
depths  that  held  his  glance  with  a  strange  in- 
sistence. "  Supposing  he  ain't  your  friend  no 
longer,  I  say, —  ain't  you  still  his,  Mr.  Flanni- 
gan?" 

"  Ah, — "  said  Peter,  and  then  paused,  patting 
the  tiny  pile  of  coffee  on  the  scales  thoughtfully 
with  his  big  forefinger.  "  I  see,  Mistress  Banny," 
he  said,  a  queer  light  beginning  to  glow  in  the 
deep-set  eyes  under  the  shaggy  brows.  "  I  see, 
Ma'am.  And  'tis  right  ye  are.  It  ain't  Jinks  I'm 
a-measuring  up  to.  It's  me  own  self  and  — 
God  A'mighty." 

"  That's  it,"  said  Mrs.  Banny,  speaking  more 
cheerfully  than  usual.  "  As  Mr.  Banny  used  to 
say  to  me, — 4  Sally,  because  Miss  Prigger,' —  what 
had  the  room  next  to  ours, — '  splashes  her  dirty 
suds  under  the  door  between  intentional,  it  ain't 

210 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

no  sign  that  you  gotter  splash  yours  back  at  her. 
It's  your  own  suds  you  are  a-looking  out  to  keep 
from  spattering,  Sally, —  not  hers,  and  if  you,  so 
to  speak,  do  that,  it  stands  to  reason  you'll  get 
all  your  puddles  mopped  up  proper  and  neat,  no 
matter  how  far  Miss  Prigger  makes  hers 
spread.' ' 

Having  unwittingly  passed  the  principle  of  in- 
dividual responsibility  to  Peter  in  its  entirety,  Mrs. 
Banny  settled  herself  with  a  contented  sigh  upon 
the  pickle  keg,  glad  of  the  brief  rest  in  the  quiet 
and  warmth  of  the  store. 

Peter  did  not  reply,  but  stood  with  his  big  hands 
resting  on  the  counter,  looking  down  thoughtfully 
at  the  little  pile  of  unwrapped  coffee.  He  did  not 
see  it,  though,  so  deeply  was  he  pondering  the 
fundamental  life-truth  he  had  just  received  in  such 
homely  guise.  And  he  accepted  it  just  as  it  was 
given  to  him, —  simply,  without  doubt  or  question, 
—  because  he  was  unconsciously  ready  and  waiting 
for  it,  and  it,  perforce,  had  to  come. 

As  he  stared  blankly  at  the  coffee,  Peter 
Flannigan  was  suddenly  conscious  of  newly 
opened  eyes  far  within,  whose  outlook  spread  on 
and  on  until  it  was  boundless.  Then  he  felt  that 

211 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

that  ncwly-visioned  inside  self  reached  up  —  up  — 
up  —  until  it  touched  something  vital  and  laid  fast 
hold  upon  it  with  a  grasp  that  Peter  intuitively 
knew  was  eternal.  The  outer  creature  blinked 
uncertainly  as  it  came  in  conscious  contact  for  the 
first  time  with  its  God-Spark  inside.  It  gasped  a 
bit  at  the  wrench  of  that  mighty  inner  lift,  and 
then  it  took  the  new  gait  right  gallantly! 

Peter  reached  out  for  the  big  scoop  in  the  open 
bin  and,  filling  it,  poured  a  generous  pile  of  coffee 
upon  the  tiny  mound  that  was  already  on  the  pa- 
per. He  had  never  in  all  his  life  given  a  fraction 
under  weight, —  but  never  before  had  he  ever 
given  a  fraction  over  weight.  He  did  it  now 
slowly  and  thoughtfully,  as  though  it  was  some- 
thing that  he  liked  to  do. 

And  Peter  Flannigan's  spiritual  birth  was  an- 
nounced by  that  extra  pile  of  brown  beans  far  more 
clearly  than  it  could  have  been  by  months  of  the 
pyrotechnic  cant-rant  supposed  by  the  unenlight- 
ened to  herald  such  natal  hours.  With  a  rare 
soul-wisdom  the  big  storekeeper  had  seized  upon 
and  instantly  carried  out  the  esoteric  meaning  of  the 
command  thrice-given  to  Peter  of  old,  though  he 
possessed  no  mental  knowledge  of  it  to  guide  him. 

212 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  Sure  now,  and  'tis  many  things  that  ye  be  after 
knowing,  Mistress  Banny,"  said  Peter  as  he 
wrapped  the  package  of  coffee. 

Mrs.  Banny  looked  up,  a  faint  smile  crossing 
her  dim,  little  face.  "  I  ain't  a  mite  of  learning, 
Mr.  Flannigan.  All  I  know  I  just,  so  to  speak, 
fishes  out  of  life  as  I  go  along,  same's  I  would  a 
dill-pickle  out  of  this  barrel,  though  it  stands  to 
reason  I  wouldn't,  seeing  they  ain't  mine,  being 
yours." 

Peter  scratched  his  chin  thoughtfully.  "  And, 
sure  now,  Mistress  Banny,  in  the  final  round  up 
'tis  meself  that  thinks  the  only  things  that'll  count 
much  will  be  what  we've  fished  out  of  life." 

"  I'm  fearing  constant  it'll  be  a  mighty  mixter 
then,  Mr.  Flannigan,  earth's  last  cleaning  up  day, 
so  to  speak.  And  what  me'n'  Mr.  Banny'll  do  I 
can't  see  real  clear,  with  the  billy  goats  and  the 
sheep  and  the  dill-pickles  since  we've  suffered  an  in- 
fliction of  thirteen,  with  the  sets,  and  the  four  we 
laid  away  being  riz,  as  it  stands  to  reason  they 
will. — "  Mrs.  Banny  had  gotten  up  to  go,  but 
she  sat  down  suddenly,  too  tightly  wound  in  her 
own  words  to  move,  either  mentally  or  physically. 

"  Whist,  now  1  "  said  Peter,  leaning  across  the 
213 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

counter  to  bestow  a  very  kind  smile  upon  the  little 
figure  shaking  its  head  dazedly  on  the  pickle  keg. 
"  Just  ye  be  after  giving  the  coffee  to  the  old  lady 
extry  strong  now, —  for  there's  plenty  more  where 
this  came  from,  and  as  near  boiling  hot  as  she  can 
be  made  to  take  it  down.  And  if  she's  bad  in  the 
legs  again,  or  in  the  tongue  either,  ye  can  have  Sis 
hike  for  yon  kindling  box.  Sure,  now,  and  'tis 
kept  all  ready  for  the  boy  when  he  comes  back  to 
it,  but  until  he  do,  Mistress  Banny,  ma'am,  it  does 
be  after  seeming  the  emptiest  place  ever  I  have 
seen  in  me  born  life,  at  all,  at  all!  " 

Nearly  three  weeks  had  passed  since  the  morn- 
ing Jinks  had  sat  upon  the  rear  step,  waiting  to 
start  off  with  Jake  in  the  big  delivery  wagon. 

It  was  night,  and  again  the  man  with  the  scar 
and  the  child  faced  each  other  in  Burr  Dillard's 
cellar.  At  least  it  was  a  man, —  the  wild-eyed, 
white-faced,  shivering  creature  that  the  flickering 
candle  light  fell  upon  bore  little  resemblance  to  a 
child. 

"  We  are  not  going  to  bother  with  you  no 
longer,"  snarled  Dink  Todd. 

Jinks'  blue  eyes  brightened.  He  looked  up 
214 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

hopefully,  from  where  he  stood  leaning  against  the 
damp  wall,  a  faint  tinge  of  pink  creeping  into  his 
wan  cheeks.  "  You  are  going  to  let  me  go  back 
to  him, —  to  Mr.  Flannigan?"  he  cried  eagerly, 
the  hope  within  lending  strength  to  his  wavering 
voice. 

The  light  in  the  blue  eyes  and  the  hope  in  the 
small  heart  both  died  quickly,  drenched  beneath 
the  sting  of  Dink  Todd's  laughter. 

"Let  you  go  back?"  he  scoffed.  "Why, 
sonny,  just  you  listen  to  this.  We  are  going  to 
take  you  back !  We  are  going  to  tie  a  rope  around 
you  good  and  tight  this  very  night,  and  drop  you 
over  the  door  into  old  Flannigan's  store.  And 
you  are  to  unfasten  the  chain  and  turn  the  key  in 
the  lock  so's  we  can  join  you.  We  like  you  too  well 
to  let  you  stay  away  from  us  long.  And  as  you 
won't  promise  to  go  along  peaceably,  and  do  as 
you've  been  told  to  do, —  why,  we'll  just  keep  a 
gun  p'inted  your  way  and  see  if  that  can't  help  you 
to  obey  when  you  get  your  orders  good  and  clear. 
Just  you  let  out  a  sound,  or  just  you  fail  to  undo 
that  door  fast  and  easy,  and  I'll  pull  you  straight 
back  up  to  that  transom  and  plug  daylight  through 
you  in  forty  places,  if  I  have  to  swing  for  it! 

215 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

You  know  too  much,  anyway,  and  when  a  boy  gets 
in  my  way  I'll  shoot  him  down  as  quick  as  I  would 
a  dog." 

Jinks'  small  figure  seemed  trying  to  shrink  into 
the  wall  against  which  he  crouched,  as  he  stared  at 
the  man  before  him,  a  great  horror  on  his  worn, 
childish  face. 

"Do  you  understand?"  roared  Dink  Todd, 
with  a  bitter  curse. 

Jinks  nodded,  his  lips  refusing  to  form  any  an- 
swer. 

"  Well,  just  keep  it  hard  and  tight  in  your  car- 
roty cocoanut  that  I  mean  what  I  say,  and  that 
what  I  promise  you  I'll  do,  as  sure  as  I'm  a  living 
sinner  1  "  There  was  that  in  Dink's  face  and  voice 
that  attested  to  the  absolute  sincerity  of  his  words. 
"  We'll  be  along  for  you  in  about  an  hour,"  he 
added,  turning  away. 

As  Dink  Todd  slammed  and  locked  the  cellar 
door,  a  ragged  figure  arose  from  the  ground  be- 
side the  window  in  the  alley,  and  scuttled  away  in 
the  darkness. 

It  was  Tommy  Bates ! 

Sis  had  interviewed  Tommy  immediately  after 
leaving  Peter  Flannigan  the  day  he  had  sought  her 

216 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

aid  in  finding  Jinks.  In  a  few  concise  sentences 
she  put  Tommy  in  possession  of  all  the  facts. 
"  And  now  you  gotter  find  him,"  she  said,  fasten- 
ing an  accusing  eye  upon  Tommy,  "  'cause  you 
done  it." 

"  I  didn't !  "  he  retorted,  consternation  on  his 
snub-nosed  face  as  he  wriggled  beneath  her  im- 
paling glance.  "  And  I  just  double-dare  you  to 
say  I  did!" 

"  You  done  it,"  repeated  Sis,  finality  in  her 
voice.  "  You  punched  that  dog  right  smack  out 
of  his  inside,  and  that  started  him  to"  going.  I 
know  Jinks,  and  when  once  he  gets  started  good, 
ain't  nothing  nor  yet  nobody  a-going  to  head  him 
off.  That's  one  how  come  I  know  he's  hitched 
somewhere  hard  and  tight  by  his  inside.  And  you 
done  it  first,  so  now  you  gotter  find  him." 

Tommy  grew  visibly  depressed.  His  own  vivid 
recollection  of  the  interview  with  Jinks  regarding 
the  dog  arose  in  his  memory,  adding  to  a  sudden 
sense  of  guilt  that  he  found  unpleasantly  heavy. 
"  I  say, —  ain't  you  going  to  help  ?  "  he  demanded. 

Sis  nodded  her  fly-away  locks.  "  Sure  pop ! 
Ain't  I  done  already  helped  a  lot?"  she  asked. 
"  Ain't  I  started  you,  and  ain't  I  everlastingly 

217 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

going  to  stick  to  you  to  see  that  you  keep  going, 
and  chunk  you  in  the  stummick  whenever  you  try 
to  stop?  I'll  hunt,  too,  but  I'm  going  to  see  good 
and  plenty  that  you  don't  get  a  mite  of  rest  night 
or  day,  Tommy  Bates,  until  we  find  Jinks,  'cause 
you  done  it.  You  gotter  stick  to  Toney." 

Tommy's  mouth  opened.  "  What  I  gotter 
stick  to  Toney  for?  "  he  snorted.  "  I'll  be  darned 
if  I  do !  That  Toney  Little  he's  got  so  puffed- 
uppety  lately  he  needs  to  be  smacked  bald  headed, 
that's  what  he  needs.  And  I  gotter  good  mind  to 
do  it,  too!"  Some  of  Tommy's  resentment  to- 
wards Sis,  that  he  dared  not  utter,  found  vent  in 
this  Toney  pop-out. 

"  Don't  you  do  nothing  to  Toney  to  make  him 
mad  at  you !  "  Sis  came  close  to  Tommy,  mys- 
terious warning  in  her  big,  gray  eyes.  "  Cross- 
my-heart,  Tommy,  if  I  don't  believe  he  knows 
where  Jinks  is  at!  " 

Tommy's  black  eyes  bulged.  "  What  makes 
you  think  so?  "  he  demanded,  eager  curiosity  in  his 
face.  Toney  had  lately  hinted  that  he  knew  many 
things  of  import  too  vast  to  be  intrusted  to 
Tommy.  And  as  Tommy's  curiosity  mounted,  his 
bitter  resentment  increased  in  proportion. 

218 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  I  just  know  he  does,"  said  Sis,  her  eyes  sud- 
denly taking  on  a  queer,  unseeing  expression,  as 
though  they  were  gazing  upon  some  vision  lying 
deep  within. 

Tommy  shook  her,  though  gently.  It  was  not 
always  safe  to  land  Sis  too  suddenly  from  one  of 
her  aerial  flights.  "  You  stop  that  moon-eyeing !  " 
he  ordered.  "  You  stay  right  here  where  we  are 
at,  and  tell  me  how  come  you  know  Toney's  up  to 
devilment?  " 

For  a  wonder  Sis  did  not  resent  her  ab- 
rupt tumble  back  to  Paradise  Alley.  She  looked 
at  Tommy  with  big,  contemplative  eyes.  "I  —  I 
don't  know  how  I  know,  Tommy,  but  I  know  I 
do  !  I  know  it, —  no,  I  don't,  I  see  it,  right  in  here 
where  all  the  things  I  know  are,  that  are  the  for- 
true  ones."  Sis  laid  a  small,  dirty  hand  over  her 
solar-plexus. 

Tommy  hunched  up  his  shoulders  disgustedly. 
"  Gee !  Now  here  you  go  to  sprouting  you  one ! 
As  if  Jinks  with  a  inside  wasn't  bad  enough,  you 
had  to  go  catch  you  one  too  I  " 

"  I  ain't  caught  one, —  I've  had  one  all  the 
time,  and  I  just  double-dare  you  to  say  I  ain't, 
Tommy  Bates!  "  said  Sis  tartly.  "And  I  know 

219 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

with  my  inside  knower  that  Toney's  up  to  some- 
thing!    You  gotter  find  it  out !  " 

'  You  do  it,  Sis.  Toney  turns  plum  green 
whenever  you  start  at  him.  You'd  scare  it  out  of 
him  the  very  first  flop  you  made !  " 

"  I  get  sick  when  I  start  at  him,"  said  Sis. 
"  And  I  have  to  wash  my  hands  whenever  I've 
fought  Toney.  No,  Sir,  you  gotter  stick  to  him 
and  then  set  on  him.  I  ain't  going  to  set  on  no 
such  squirmy  something  as  Toney  Little  is, —  he's 
real  crawly.  I  know  he  got  hatched  a  snake  and 
then  grewed  into  a  boy.  So,  now  you  gotter  stick 
to  him  and  when  you  catch  up  with  him,  you  gotter 
set  right  slap-bang  on  him !  If  you  don't  I'll  jump 
on  you  and  claw  your  jaw  and  pinch  your  year! 
Sec?" 

"  I  see,"  said  Tommy  gloomily,  accepting  the 
less  of  the  two  evils  thrust  upon  him.  "  I  see, 
Sis,  and  I'll  stick  and  I'll  set." 

Obeying  Sis's  orders  literally,  Tommy  had 
scoured  Paradise  Alley  both  by  day  and  by  night 
in  his  search  for  Jinks.  Not  a  single  thing  had  he 
been  able  to  discover  definitely,  though,  until  the 
day  preceding  Dink  Todd's  night  interview  with 

his  captive  in  Burr  Dillard's  cellar. 

220 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

His  zeal  constantly  re-fired  by  Sis's  insistent 
orders,  Tommy  had  clung  to  Toney  with  a  tenac- 
ity of  purpose  and  a  constancy  of  endeavor  that  at 
last  got  on  the  older  boy's  nerves,  causing  him  to 
stay  closely  around  Burr  Dillard's  quarters,  in  an 
effort  to  shake  loose  the  small  and  ragged  Fate 
dogging  his  footsteps. 

And  by  dodging  voluntarily, —  as  the  guilty 
usually  do, —  Toney  Little  made  a  grave  mistake. 
For  as  he  could  no  longer  stalk  his  prey  visibly, 
Tommy  at  once  proceeded  to  do  so  invisibly,  by 
clinging  like  a  two-legged  cockle-burr  to  the  house 
that  he  had  discovered  sheltered  Toney. 

He  had  hung  about  the  dingy  tenement  the 
better  part  of  every  day  for  a  week,  until  at  last  he 
became  convinced  that  some  one  or  something  of 
vast  importance  was  concealed  in  the  cellar.  His 
prize  once  in  a  measure  located,  the  rest  was  easy 
to  Tommy  Bates,  depending  only  upon  time  and 
opportunity. 

Daily  Tommy  flattened  himself  out  under  the 
tiny  cellar  window  that  opened  into  the  alley,  and 
each  night  he  took  up  the  same  position,  lying 
there  for  hours  with  the  patience  of  a  Pillar  Saint, 
totally  unmindful  of  the  bitter  cold.  The  hunt- 

221 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

ing  instinct,  that  necessity  develops  early  in  those 
dependent  upon  their  wits  for  subsistence,  was  rap- 
idly maturing  in  Tommy  Bates. 

He  kept  up  his  daily  and  nightly  watch  for  al- 
most a  week,  but  without  hearing  or  seeing  any- 
thing. At  last,  though,  his  psychological  moment 
arrived.  Just  as  he  stretched  himself  out  one 
night  he  saw  a  faint  flicker  of  light  on  the  cellar 
ceiling.  Tommy  at  once  glued  a  keen,  black  eye 
to  the  tiny  window,  removing  it  with  a  gasp  to  ap- 
ply an  ear.  And  all  through  Dink  Todd's  inter- 
view with  Jinks  he  sat  crouched  by  the  little  open- 
ing, applying  to  the  broken  glass  first  one  and  then 
the  other  of  the  two  mediums  through  which  the 
mind  secures  information  of  material  things. 
Tommy's  own  keen  wits  easily  supplied  all  the 
missing  links  in  the  chain,  whose  end  he  held,  and 
when  he  at  last  went  plunging  through  the  dark- 
ness, he  was  in  full  possession  of  the  plans  for  that 
night. 


222 


CHAPTER  TWELVE 

Peter  Flannigan  sat  alone  in  his  room  the  same 
night  that  Tommy  Bates  crouched  beside  the  win- 
dow of  Burr  Dillard's  cellar.  The  big  store- 
keeper had  gone  up  to  bed;  but,  instead  of  un- 
dressing, he  had  dropped  heavily  down  into  a  large 
chair,  and  with  his  head  resting  on  the  back,  sat 
thinking, —  listening, —  wondering, —  hoping,  as 
he  did  every  night  now.  Surely  the  boy  he  had 
trusted  had  not  deceived  him !  But  where  had  he 
gone  so  suddenly, —  so  mysteriously, —  so  silently, 
—  leaving  not  the  slightest  trace  behind? 

Peter  moved  restlessly,  and  as  he  did  so  he 
turned  his  head,  and  the  light  beside  him  on  the 
table,  falling  full  upon  his  face,  showed  that 
the  past  weeks  had  plowed  their  record  deep  on  the 
rugged  countenance,  for  there  were  new  lines  on 
the  brow,—  new  hollows  in  the  cheeks, —  new 
wrinkles  about  the  keen,  gray  eyes. 

Peter  sighed  as  he  moved,  the  short,  impatient 
breath  that  tells  its  own  tale  of  ceaseless  inner 

223 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

pain.  He  had  not  believed  it  possible  for  the  loss 
of  anything  to  make  him  feel  so  desolate, —  so 
lonely;  that  he  could  miss  any  one  so  keenly.  He 
sighed  again  heavily  and  wearily  as  he  realized 
with  a  terrible,  gnawing  inside  ache  that  he  had 
not  merely  felt  an  interest  in  the  gutter  boy  who 
had  come  so  suddenly  into  his  life, —  he  had  not 
just  shared  with  him  what  he  had,  but  what  he  was 
as  well.  He  had  given  to  Jinks  all  the  pent-up 
love  of  a  life  that  had  been  bitterly  hard  and  terri- 
bly alone,  more  alone  possibly  in  that  it  had  seem- 
ingly been  lived  in  close  and  constant  contact  with 
his  kind.  Peter  knew,  though,  that  none  of  his 
inner  self  had  ever  gone  out  to  any  one;  it  had  re- 
mained sealed  deep  within, —  intact, —  until  the 
past  two  months. 

A  sudden  shower  of  pebbles  against  the  window 
brought  Peter  out  of  his  musings  with  a  nervous 
start.  He  went  quickly  across  the  room,  his  heart 
pounding  heavily,  as  it  always  did  of  late  at  the 
slightest  unusual  sound. 

"Who's  there?"  he  demanded,  opening  the 
window  wide  and  thrusting  his  head  out. 

"  It's  me, —  Tommy !  "  came  in  a  piercing  hiss 
through  the  gloom.  "  I  done  found  Jinks,  Mr. 

224 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

Flannigan!  I  ain't  got  no  time  to  tell  it  all  to 
you  now,  but  they  are  going  to  rob  your  store  to- 
night !  They  are  going  to  drop  Jinks  through  the 
opening  over  the  top  of  the  back  door,  and  he's  to 
let  'em  in!  I  dunno  how  many.  I'd  have  been 
here  sooner  only  I  butted  ker-slap  inter  Toney,  and 
I  just  got  loose." 

"  I'll  be  right  down  and  let  you  in,  Tommy!  " 
cried  Peter. 

But  Tommy  was  already  scurrying  away  in  the 
blackness  of  the  night. 

"  No,  you  don't !  I  ain't  got  no  time !  "  he 
hissed  back  shrilly.  "  They  are  right  behind  me ! 
I'm  going  for  Sis, —  and  the  perlice !  "  Then  the 
gloom  of  the  Alley  swallowed  him  up. 

Peter  Flannigan  remained  motionless  beside  the 
window  until  the  sound  of  Tommy's  retreating 
footsteps  had  died  away  in  the  distance.  In  the 
man's  mind  the  startling  news  just  imparted  to 
him,  that  he  was  about  to  be  robbed,  had  found  no 
lodgment,  though  he  had  not  been  to  the  bank  for 
weeks  and  there  were  many  thousands  of  dollars 
in  the  cash  box  under  the  bed. 

But  one  thing  stood  out  clearly  in  Peter's  con- 
sciousness. Jinks  was  coming, —  the  boy  he  had 

225 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

trusted  was  going  to  throw  wide  the  doors  of  the 
home  that  had  sheltered  him  to  admit  those  who 
wanted  to  rob  the  man  who  loved  him !  That 
thought  alone  faced  the  big  storekeeper,  gripping 
his  heart  with  a  pain  so  keen  it  seemed  as  if  it 
was  being  wrung  physically  between  two  merciless, 
iron  hands. 

"  Somebody, —  something, —  must  stop  the 
boy !  "  Peter  muttered  dully  to  himself  as  he  moved 
heavily  over  to  the  table  in  the  center  of  the  room. 
He  walked  like  one  suddenly  grown  old  and  fee- 
ble, and  stood  with  his  shaggy  head  fallen  for- 
ward, his  mighty  shoulders  sunken,  his  whole  giant 
frame  relaxed. 

As  the  full  horror  of  the  thing  coming  upon 
him  bit  its  way  into  his  inner  consciousness  like 
some  corroding  acid,  he  suddenly  threw  his  head 
back  and  flung  wide  his  great  arms,  his  big  hands 
clinched.  And  it  was  no  prayer  that  tore 
its  way  across  Peter  Flannigan's  lips,  but 
a  soul-call  hurled  upward  towards  The  In- 
finite with  all  the  dynamic  force  of  a  spirit 
on  fire  with  the  desire  to  save  another  from  even 
the  appearance  of  sin.  "God!"  he  cried,  his 
deep  voice  jolting  as  though  dragged  over  cobble 

226 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

stones.  "  Almighty, —  whoever  Ye  are, —  where- 
ever  Ye  be, —  stop  him  I  Head  the  boy  I  Well 
do  Ye  be  after  knowing  that  never  a  bit  do  I  care 
for  the  paltry  cash, —  them  that  is  with  him  can 
have  it  all  and  welcome.  But  don't  let  'em  damn 
the  boy !  Stop  the  child  I  have  loved  and  trusted 
as  me  own  !  Kill  him,  strike  him  down  dead  if  Ye 
need  to,  but  stop  him!  If  Ye  can't  see  your  way 
clear  to  tripping  him  up  neat, —  clamp  down  on 
him  inside  somewhere  and  make  him  yell, —  make 
him  yell  like  seven  devils  had  him,  to  let  me 
know  he's  coming  I  Anything,  anyhow  —  I  ain't 
particular  about  what  'tis  Ye  do, —  only  head  him 
so's  he'll  not  go  through  life  bearing  the  foul 
blot  stamped  in  him  that  he  came  sneaking  like  a 
thief  in  the  night  against  the  man  who  was  his 
friend !  Keep  that  dirt  out  of  him !  " 

Peter  moved  over  to  his  big  chair  and  dropped 
heavily  into  it.  He  had  no  thought  of  his  own 
personal  danger  and  possible  loss, —  no  faintest 
idea  of  calling  for  police  protection.  When  a 
soul  is  on  fire  to  save  another,  it  scales  heights  and 
sounds  depths  impossible  until  self  is  left  behind. 
So  it  was  that  with  no  thought  in  his  mind  save 
Jinks,  Peter  Flannigan  sat  motionless  in  his  room, 

227 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

waiting,  unarmed  and  alone,  for  what  was  coming 
upon  him. 

It  was  but  a  few  moments  before  his  keen  ears 
caught  the  shuffle  of  stealthy  footsteps  in  the  Alley 
below.  No  other  sound  broke  upon  the  stillness 
for  a  little  while.  Then  Peter  could  detect  a  light 
scratching,  so  low  that  it  might  have  been  made 
by  a  busy  mouse.  TKey  were  removing  the  glass 
from  the  transom  over  the  door. 

And  Jinks  was  there,  though  he  made  no  sound! 
With  a  groan  Peter  dropped  his  face  in  his  hands. 
"  If  he  would  but  say  just  the  one  word !  "  he  mut- 
tered. 

But  no  such  word  came. 

Another  silence  fell.  Then  there  was  a  faint 
noise  below.  Peter  did  not  lift  his  face  from  his 
hands.  He  felt  rather  than  knew,  that  Jinks  was 
being  hoisted  through  the  narrow  opening  over 
the  door. 

It  seemed  to  Peter  then  that  all  his  being  was 
centered  in  his  ears, —  that  his  sense  of  hearing 
was  projected  far  from  him, —  reaching  out, 
as  it  were,  demanding  the  call  that  did  not  come. 
There  was  a  dull  thud  below  stairs,  as  of  a  body 
striking  the  floor.  And  then  — 

228 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"Oh,  Mr.  Flannigan!  Mr.  Flannigan!  It's 
me  I  I've  come  home,  Mr.  Flannigan!  It's 
Jinks !  "  rang  through  every  corner  of  the  store, 
in  the  voice  that  fright  and  pain  had  had  no  power 
to  rob  of  its  heart-searching  music.  "  Git  up, 
Mr.  Flannigan!  They've  come  to  rob  you!  Git 
up, —  git  up  quick!  " 

Loud  and  clear  came  the  child's  voice  the  sec- 
ond time.  At  the  same  moment  there  was  the 
jar  of  a  heavy  body  scrambling  against  the  door. 
Then  there  were  three  shots  in  quick  succession,  so 
loud  that  they  were  evidently  fired  over  the  door 
into  the  store  below.  At  the  third,  a  sharp  cry  of 
agony  went  up. 

It  was  Jinks'  voice. 

"  Thank  God!  "  burst  from  Peter  Flannigan's 
lips  in  a  mingled  shout  of  joy  and  groan  of 
despair.  He  literally  rolled  down  the  stairs. 
With  trembling  hands  he  switched  on  the  lights, 
and  on  the  floor,  his  feet  tied,  a  rope  about  his 
waist,  lay  Jinks  in  a  huddled  heap.  He  lay  as 
the  dead  lie,  a  slowly  widening  pool  of  blood 
creeping  out  from  under  his  right  side. 

"Jinks,  me  boy!"  No  one  would  have  rec- 
ognized Peter  Flannigan's  voice  as  he  knelt  by  the 

229 


JINKS1        INSIDE 

ragged  pile  on  the  floor.  No  one  would  have  be- 
lieved his  great  hands  could  be  so  tender  as  he 
lifted  the  slight  figure  in  his  arms. 

"  Sure,  child,  ye  be  back  at  home  once  more ! 
Don't  ye  be  after  knowing  that  now?  "  Utterly 
regardless  of  the  deafening  noise  in  the  Alley, 
Peter  carried  his  unconscious  burden  to  the  kindling 
box,  and,  placing  it  gently  down  on  the  gray 
blanket,  tried  as  best  he  could  to  stanch  the  blood 
flowing  from  the  right  shoulder. 

A  heavy  hand  beating  on  the  door  aroused  him. 
"  Open,  in  the  name  of  the  law!  "  roared  a  loud 
voice. 

Peter  at  once  threw  wide  the  door,  and  several 
blue-coated  officers  came  crowding  into  the  store, 
a  few  ragged  citizens  of  Paradise  Alley  peering 
curiously  in  from  the  darkness  without. 

"  We  caught  three  of  'em,  Sir,"  said  the  tallest 
policeman.  "  And  I'm  pretty  sure  that  chap  with 
the  scar  on  his  face  is  an  old  prison  bird  we've  been 
looking  for  for  a  long  time.  A  fellow  out  there 
in  the  Alley  said  that  one  had  been  shot  in  here. 
We've  come  for  him." 

"  Sure  and  one  has  been  shot  in  here,"  said 
Peter,  his  deep  voice  full  of  queer  croaks  and 

230 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

creaks.  There  he  lies,"  pointing  to  the  small  hud- 
dled figure  lying  in  the  kindling  box. 

"  Why  —  that's  just  a  child!  "  gasped  the  big 
policeman. 

"  Sure  1  That's  the  sort  of  creature  we  call  a 
child  in  this  city!  Right  out  here  in  Paradise 
Alley  ye'll  find  a  plentiful  crop  of  'em  being  raised 
for  the  devil's  own  reaping."  As  he  ceased  speak- 
ing, Peter  knelt  again  beside  Jinks. 

"  I  guess  we'd  better  take  him  with  us  if  he's 
still  alive,"  said  the  officer.  "  He  was  mixed  up 
in  this  fracas,  and  he'll  get  along  just  as  well  at 
the  jail  as  he  will  here." 

Peter  Flannigan  leaped  to  his  feet  at  one  bound, 
and  turned  around  with  a  roar  such  as  might  have 
come  from  some  maddened  animal. 

"  Take  this  boy  to  jail,  is  it?  "  he  bellowed,  his 
big  face  purple,  his  eyes  blazing.  "  Indeed,  now, 
me  foine  fellow,  and  I'd  just  loike  to  see  ye  have 
a  bit  of  a  try  at  that!  Sure  and  I  would!  " 

"  I  represent  the  Law,"  said  the  officer  warn- 
ingly. 

"  And  devil  a  bit  do  I  care  what  ye  represent  or 
who !  "  exploded  Peter.  "  Sure,  and  'tis  meself 
that  represents  yon  injured  boy,  and  me  very  own 

231 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

self  that  same  being  a  man  that'll  die  right  in  his 
own  tracks  to  protect  his  own  child  under  his  own 
roof!  "  He  flourished  his  white  apron  in  one 
hand  as  he  spoke,  like  a  battle  flag,  and  doubled 
the  other  up  into  a  fist  the  size  of  a  half-grown 
cabbage. 

"  Oh,  but  don't  I  just  ever-lastingly  double-dare 
you  to  tech  Jinks !  "  a  high  voice  suddenly 
shrilled  from  out  the  gloom  in  the  Alley.  The 
startled  crowd  parted  to  right  and  left  and  a  tat- 
tered little  figure  whirled  into  the  center  of  the 
room,  looking  as  she  paused  before  the  policeman 
like  an  animated  buzz-saw  in  petticoats.  Sis's 
sleeves  were  pushed  up  to  her  shoulders,  leaving 
her  thin,  brown  arms  bare;  her  hands  were  doubled 
up  into  twi  tight  little  fists  that  waved  fearlessly 
and  threateningly  right  under  the  astonished  offi- 
cer's big  nose. 

"  I  dare  you  to  tech  him  I  "  she  cried,  her  great 
eyes  flashing  gray  lightning,  and  her  black  elf- 
locks  seeming  to  literally  stand  out  from  her  small, 
pale  face.  "  You  dassent  do  nothing  to  Jinks  — 
you  just  dassent  put  your  finger  on  him!  If  you 
do,  cross-my-heart,  if  I  don't  claw  your  jaw  and 
pinch  your  year  and  chunk  you  in  the  stummickl 

232 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

And  if  that  ain't  enough  to  settle  you  good  and 
plenty,  I'll  take  to  fists  or  rocks,  you  to  have  first 
choice  and  first  go !  " 

"  I  say  — "  gasped  the  astonished  officer,  back- 
ing away  from  the  small  fury  who  followed  him 
up  closely  as  he  retreated.  "  What's  the  matter 
with  you,  anyway?  " 

"  Jinks  never  done  nothing !  "  a  second  shrill 
voice  piped,  and  Tommy  Bates  bobbed  into  view 
from  just  without  the  open  door.  He  had  given 
the  alarm  to  the  first  officer  he  met  that  night,  and 
had  then  promptly  taken  to  his  heels,  for  Tommy 
objected  seriously  to  policemen, —  and  with  good 
reason.  To-night,  though,  something  got  wrong 
with  his  little  inside  every  time  he  glanced  towards 
the  kindling  box,  and  he  felt  that  the  only  way  to 
dislodge  that  queer,  uneasy  sensation  was  to  speak 
out,  though  his  knees  quaked  beneath  him,  and  he 
felt  all  gone  in  his  middle  every  time  one  of  the 
officers  looked  in  his  direction. 

"Well,  what  is  it?"  demanded  the  policeman 
shortly.  "  Tell  us  what  you  know  about  this  af- 
fair." 

"  I  know  all  about  it,"  said  Tommy  with  a 
jaunty  chin  tilt,  and  at  least  a  two-inch  increase 

233 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

in  stature,  as  he  noted  the  general  interest  that  his 
remark  aroused. 

"  Go  ahead  then  and  tell  it,"  said  the  officer 
sternly.  "  We  have  already  wasted  too  much  time 
here!  "  He  frowned  darkly  at  Sis  as  he  spoke. 

She  at  once  responded  with  a  defiant  shake  of 
her  head,  and,  backing  across  the  room,  sat  down 
on  the  edge  of  the  kindling  box,  one  hand  resting 
protectingly  on  Jinks,  her  eyes  fastened  unwink- 
ingly  upon  the  policeman. 

'  Why,  I  heard  'em  a-fixing  it  all  up  to-night  in 
Burr  Dillard's  cellar,"  said  Tommy,  sidling  around 
towards  Peter,  and  at  the  same  time  keeping  one 
eye  on  the  door.  "  And  that  chap  with  the  busted 
eye,  he  told  Jinks  he'd  kill  him  as  sure  as  sure  if 
he  so  much  as  let  out  a  squeak  to  warn  old  —  I 
mean  MR.  Flannigan.  And  Jinks  he  wouldn't 
promise  nothing,  and  just  yelled  like  a  house  afire 
as  soon  as  they  dropped  him  over  to  let  Mr.  Flan- 
nigan know  all  about  it.  And  so  they  blowed  a 
hole  right  straight  through  him!  Gee,  but  he's 
got  sand  all  right,  Jinks  has,  if  he  is  little!  " 

"  Ah,"  said  the  officer,  nodding  his  head,  "  I 
see." 

"  A-h-h,"  breathed  Peter  Flannigan  in  a  queer, 
234 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

smothered  choke.  "  And  sure,  I  see  too ! " 
There  was  such  a  mist  in  Peter's  keen  eyes  that  he 
did  not  know  he  was  trying  to  find  a  name  in  the 
telephone  directory  with  the  book  upside  down. 
"  'Tis  a  doctor  I'm  wanting,"  he  said,  looking 
around  him  helplessly,  and  speaking  more  to  him- 
self than  to  any  one  else,  as  his  trembling  hands 
fumbled  with  the  leaves.  "  And  I  want  the  best 
that's  to  be  had,  too,  for  though  the  boy's  breath- 
ing and  his  heart's  beating,  he  needs  attention  and 
he  needs  it  bad." 

Tommy  had  backed  hastily  out  of  the  door  as 
soon  as  he  finished  his  speech,  and  the  dark- 
ness had  swallowed  him  up.  Now  he  pulled  him- 
self inside  the  store  again. 

"Out  on  the  Bullyvard,  Mr.  Flannigan!"  he 
cried  excitedly.  "  The  dog  man's  a  doctor.  Dr. 
Jasper  Brereton,  that's  what  his  name  is,  and  he'll 
come  a-hiking.  I  know  for  he  skeets  about  in  a 
ottermobeel.  I  saw  him  to-day  and  he  sure  was 
moving  some !  Oh,  my !  " 

"  I'll  be  going  on  now,  Sir,"  said  the  big  officer 
in  a  low  tone  to  Peter.  "  We've  three  of  them 
out  yonder  in  the  wagon.  There  was  another  but 
he  got  away.  A  young  chap  he  was,  and  he  sure 

235 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

did  run  like  a  deer.  How  about  this  one?  "  He 
pointed  to  Tommy  Bates  as  he  spoke. 

Peter  turned  around  from  the  telephone  where 
he  had  just  called  Dr.  Brereton.  "That  one? 
Oh,  he's  all  right!  He's  a  friend  of  mine,"  said 
the  big  storekeeper.  "  Sure  now,  and  I'll  look  out 
for  him!" 

The  officers  went  their  way,  and  the  crowd  out- 
side gradually  melted  into  the  black  gloom  of  the 
Alley. 

As  the  wagon  rattled  off  with  its  load, 
Tommy  stood  an  instant  on  the  doorstep  batting 
his  eyes,  a  dazed  expression  on  his  dark,  impudent 
face.  "Mr.  Flannigan's  FRIEND!"  he  mut- 
tered to  himself.  He  shook  his  head,  then  stuck 
a  jaunty  thumb  in  each  armhole  of  his  ragged 
jacket  and  stepped  down  into  the  Alley.  "  Mr. 
Flannigan's  FRIEND!"  he  repeated,  cock- 
ing his  cap  at  a  rakish  angle  over  one  ear.  "  Ah, 
Tommy  Bates,  ain't  you  coming  up  in  the  world, 
though!  MR.  FLANNIGAN'S  FRIEND!" 
And,  inflating  his  meager  chest  in  a  miniature  imi- 
tation of  Peter's  expansive  front,  Tommy  strutted 
off  alone  into  the  darkness. 

After  closing  the  rear  door,  Peter  Flannigan 
236 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

knelt  down  by  the  side  of  the  kindling  box  and 
bent  anxiously  over  the  small,  limp  figure  lying  on 
the  gray  blankets.  His  big  hands  were  fumbling 
helplessly  with  the  blood-soaked  shirt,  when  a 
dirty  little  paw  was  laid  on  his  shoulder. 

Peter  turned  with  a  start,  and  his  keen  eyes 
looked  straight  into  Sis's  big  gray  ones.  All  their 
battle  light  was  gone  now,  and,  as  they  rested  on 
Jinks'  white  face,  they  were  wonderfully  soft,  with 
a  strange  haunting  motherliness  in  their  depths. 

"  You  let  me,"  Sis  said  to  Peter,  her  voice  low 
and  croony  as  she  slipped  down  on  her  knees  at 
his  side.  "  You  just  let  me !  I'll  fix  him  real  easy 
so's  he  can't  die  until  the  dog  man  comes.  You 
don't  know  how  to  tie  'em  up,  but  I  do,  you  see, 
for  I  have  to  mend  all  the  little  Bannys,  and  they 
get  theirselfs  broke  most  every  day !  " 

Peter  Flannigan  and  Jasper  Brereton  stood  in 
the  rear  door  of  the  store  next  morning  just  as 
the  soft,  rosy  light  of  early  dawn  came  slipping 
through  Paradise  Alley,  driving  away  its  lurking 
shadows.  A  moment  before  they  had  left  Jinks 
upstairs  in  Peter's  own  big  bed.  The  boy  was 
bandaged  like  a  little  mummy,  but  wide  awake, 
and  holding  a  silky  brown  dog  close  clasped  within 

237 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

the  shelter  of  his  uninjured  arm.  Sis  was  on  guard 
close  beside  him,  sitting  bolt  upright  in  Peter's  own 
chair,  as  silent  as  a  statue,  her  big  uncanny  eyes 
as  watchful  as  those  of  a  young  lynx. 

'  The  child  will  pull  through,  Mr.  Flannigan, 
but  it  will  take  a  long  time  and  much  care.  The 
very  best  of  care  indeed,  for  he  is  a  badly  battered 
up  little  object.  The  boy  has  been  roughly  — 
brutally  handled,"  said  Dr.  Brereton. 

Peter's  giant  form  shivered  and  his  red  face 
grew  white  at  the  other's  words.  "  Sure  now,  Sir, 
and  'tis  meself  that  saw  'em  all, —  the  cuts  and 
the  bruises, —  far  plainer  than  ever  ye  did,  I'll  war- 
rant !  He  fought  hard, —  the  blamed  little  cuss !  " 
The  last  words  were  spoken  so  low  that  Dr. 
Brereton  did  not  catch  them,  though  his  keen 
glance  noted  the  glow  they  sent  into  the  big  store- 
keeper's deep-set  eyes.  "  He  shall  have  the  care, 
Sir,  be  ye  very  sure  of  that;  the  very  best  that's 
to  be  had  in  the  city,"  Peter  added. 

The  tall,  dark-faced  surgeon  hesitated  on  the 
back  doorstep.  He  was  deeply  interested,  but  did 
not  like  to  ask  too  many  questions.  It  was  a 
strange  case  he  thought,  the  very  strangest  he  had 
ever  encountered.  He  had  recognized  Jinks  the 

238 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

moment  the  child's  unconscious  face  had  been 
turned  to  the  light  that  morning,  but  what  could 
have  wrought  such  havoc?  What  had  changed 
the  boy  in  one  short  month  from  the  well  clad 
little  chap  he  had  been  when  he  carried  the  dog 
home,  into  the  battered,  torn  and  ragged  crea- 
ture he  was  at  present?  And  what  queer  freak 
of  Fate  had  brought  together  the  two  dingy  bits 
of  human  driftwood  upstairs  and  the  tall  prosper- 
ous man  standing  before  him,  his  great  hands 
thrust  through  the  belt  of  his  white  apron,  his  face 
outshining  the  sun  that  was  beginning  to  tinge  the 
housetops  with  gold?  And  how  did  it  happen 
that  a  man  who  looked  like  a  butcher  possessed 
a  room  handsomely,  even  artistically,  furnished, 
and  with  an  atmosphere  about  it  that  the  cultured, 
refined  man  of  the  world  had  felt  and  responded 
to  the  very  instant  he  had  entered  it? 

Jasper  Brereton  was  frankly  puzzled.  He  was 
also  deeply  interested.  "  The  little  chap, —  does 
he  belong  to  you,  Mr.  Flannigan?  "  he  asked,  led 
on  to  voice  the  question  by  something  in  the  big 
Irishman's  clear  eyes. 

"  Not  me  son,  Sir,"  said  Peter  simply,  the  old 
hearty  boom  back  in  his  deep  voice,  his  broad 

239 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

face  all  crinkly  and  quivery  with  smiles  whose  joy- 
light  seemed  to  illumine  the  entire  rear  of  the  store. 
"  Ye  see  he's  just  me  child,  Sir,  hitched  to  me  by 
an  inside  clinch  that's  as  far  beyond  any  outside 
tie  of  flesh  and  blood  as  what  ye  know  is  beyond 
what  ye  think.  He's  mine,  Jinks  is,  that's  all,  and 
sure  'tis  meself  that's  his.  We  was  each  other's 
Christmas  prisints." 

"  Ah,"  said  Dr.  Brereton  as  he  slowly  drew  on 
his  gloves.  "  The  little  fellow  interested  me 
greatly  the  other  day  when  he  came  out  to  my 
home  with  the  dog." 

Peter  Flannigan's  broad  bulk  shook.  He 
closed  one  gray  eye  in  a  ponderous  wink,  and  be- 
stowed upon  Dr.  Brereton  a  confidential  and  beam- 
ing grin.  "  And  whist  now,  Doctor !  But  wasn't 
it  the  wonderful  thing  that  ye  should  have  fetched 
the  dog  along  with  ye?  Sure,  and  the  little  scamp 
hadn't  forgot  either  the  boy  or  the  nest  in  the 
kindling  box,  at  all,  at  all!  Do  ye  mind  how 
straight  he  made  for  'em  both  ?  " 

A  smile  crossed  Jasper  Brereton's  face  as  he 
recalled  the  half-delirious  capers  the  little  brown 
dog  had  so  recently  cut  in  the  rear  of  the  store. 
"  Bat  insisted  on  coming  with  me  this  morning, — 

240 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

he  and  I  were  reading  in  the  library  when  your  call 
came.  He  likes  to  ride  in  the  auto,  though  I  sel- 
dom take  him,  for  he  has  a  sad  habit  of  going  off 
on  private  expeditions  of  his  own.  He  was  on 
one  of  these  business  trips  when  your  boy  found 
him.  I'm  glad  he  came  this  time  though,  even 
if  he  has  deserted  me.  He  refused  to  move  when 
I  started  just  now."  The  surgeon  hesitated  be- 
fore he  added,  "  And  the  little  chap's  name,  Mr. 
Flannigan?  May  I  ask  that?" 

"  Never  a  bit  of  a  name  has  he  got, —  or  ever 
has  had,  Sir,  that  I  know  of.  He  just  grew  in 
the  mud  of  Paradise  Alley,"  said  Peter.  "  But 
as  soon  as  the  day  gets  here  and  settles  itself  down 
a  bit,  sure  and  I'm  going  to  a  lawyer's  and  give 
him  me  own  as  tight  as  it  can  be  given,  so's  we 
two  will  never  get  lost  from  each  other  again,  at 
all,  at  all!" 

"  Don't  you  think  you  are  taking  a  very  great 
risk,  Mr.  Flannigan,  to  adopt  a  waif  like  that? 
Both  your  name  and  your  standing  might  suffer." 
Jasper  Brereton  ceased  abruptly,  silenced  by  the 
expression  in  the  keen  gray  eyes  that  measured 
him  from  crown  to  heel  in  one  swift,  compre- 
hensive glance. 

241 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

"  Faith  now,  Sir,  and  'tis  easy  shook  a  man's 
standing  must  be  if  a  deed  of  mercy's  going  to 
dislodge  him  from  his  perch,  and  'tis  meself  that 
thinks  he'd  better  come  on  down,  quiet  and  easy 
like,  before  'tis  discovered  what  a  slippery  foothold 
he's  got !  "  said  Peter  —  "  And  as  for  me  name, — 
sure,  and  'tis  a  poor  name  indade,  and  one 
made  of  moth-eaten  material,  that's  been 
shrunk  in  the  wash  so  bad  it  ain't  worth  a  froze 
potato,  if  it  can't  stretch  enough  to  give  shelter  to 
a  child  whose  only  sin,  as  I  see  it,  lies  in  just 
possessing  the  life  that  another's  deed  of  evil  thrust 
upon  him,  before  he  got  here  to  be  even  asked  how 
he  liked  the  dose  measured  out  for  him! 
Joseph's  name  covered  One  and  Its  Mother 
nigh  two  thousand  years  agone,  and  I  take  it 
he's  stood  out  pretty  strong  and  stiddy  ever  since 
as  a  MAN,  though  it  may  be  now,  in  your  world, 
ye'd  not  just  be  after  calling  him  a  gentle- 
man. As  for  me,  Sir,  sure  'tis  proud  and  happy 
I  am  this  day  to  feel  that  God  A'mighty  has  sized 
up  Peter  Flannigan's  name  and  found  that  it's  big 
enough  and  clean  enough  and  broad  enough  for 
Him  to  risk  placing  one  of  His  little  ones  beneath 
it  for  safe  keeping !  " 

243 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

Peter's  eyes  had  lost  their  keenness.  They  were 
wide  and  bright  and  filled  with  a  light  that  for  a 
passing  second  revealed  clearly  the  big,  self-free 
soul  glowing  within. 

"  But,  think  of  what  such  a  child  might  inherit, 
Mr.  Flannigan,"  said  Jasper  Brereton. 

"  Devil  a  bit  will  1 1  "  boomed  Peter's  hearty 
voice.  "  Sure  now,  Sir,  and  'tis  of  the  things  we 
don't  inherit  that  I  always  hitch  me  thinking 
strings  to.  Bedad,  and  I'll  travel  at  no  kin-hob- 
bled gait  through  life,  limping  because  me  great- 
grandfather happened  to  have  a  bunion  as  big  as 
a  walnut  on  his  foot!  Each  soul  walks  its  beat 
on  its  own  ten  toes,  and  if  there's  a  limp  anywhere 
around  it's  the  living's,  not  the  dead's." 

"And  you  don't  believe  in  blood,  then?"  de- 
manded Dr.  Brereton,  clinging  with  the  blind  de- 
votion of  an  antique  collector  to  the  fossilized  no- 
tion of  heredity. 

"  Sure  and  I  do,  Sir,"  retorted  the  big  store- 
keeper. "  And  rich  and  red  and  plenty  of  it, — 
in  its  place.  But  do  ye  know,  it  strikes  me  that 
God  A'mighty  has  been  a  stirring  up  soul  crusts 
long  enough  to  be  a  master  hand  at  the  job  by  now, 
and  that  we  can  risk  Him  to  put  in  the  right 

243 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

ingredients.  So  buttermilk  or  blueing,  or  even 
Paradise  Alley  mud  as  a  mixer,  just  as  happens  to 
tickle  His  fancy,  say  I." 

'  You  are  a  good  man,  Mr.  Flannigan."  As 
Jasper  Brereton  uttered  the  trite  platitude  he 
looked  at  the  big  figure  standing  in  the  open  door- 
way as  though  it  was  some  clumsy  earth  bug  he 
could  not  quite  classify. 

In  the  neatly  embroidered  social  eyelet  where 
most  of  his  life  was  spent,  men  of  the  grocery 
man's  size  did  not  exist.  Perchance  they  could 
not  grow  there,  for  when  souls  rise  beyond 
the  self-gauge  they  at  once  demand  room  in  which 
to  expand,  and  if  they  do  not  find  it,  they  make  it. 
And  when  they  do  this  last  many  small  useless 
things  break  with  a  resounding  crash  that  causes 
dire  consternation  in  the  contracted  confines  of 
social  eyelets.  Frequently  the  pretty  pattern  is 
quite  marred  and  to  the  spiritually  hide-bound  that 
spells  Tragedy  indeed. 

Peter's  face  crinkled  up  into  a  beamy  grin.  He 
laughed  like  a  jolly  bass  fiddle.  "  Sure  now,  Sir, 
no  man  is  '  good,'  because  he  happens  to  chin  God 
A'mighty's  pole  of  Right  when  'tis  held  out  before 
him,  plain  and  clear.  Straight  up  and  over  with 

244 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

no  ducking  or  side  stepping,  is  the  way  the  order 
comes,  and  if  so  be  he  busts  a  few  stitches  as  he 
goes  so  much  the  better  for  him,  for  sure  he'll  get 
his  self-love  tucks  ripped  out  all  the  faster  then. 
'Tis  such  tricks  as  pole  chinning  that  turns  pro- 
fessing into  practise,  that  last  being  prime  for  giv- 
ing a  body  firm  foothold  when  he  does  the  final 
high  jump  that  takes  him  from  this  world  into  the 
next.  He  sheds  his  name,  Sir,  and  his  standing 
as  he  goes  across,  along  with  all  the  rest  of  his 
gentlemanly  fluff,  and  'lights  ker-slap-bang,  right 
before  God  A'mighty,  JUST  WHAT  HE  IS,  as 
naked  as  a  picked  jay  bird  with  even  its  pin  feath- 
ers singed !  " 

"  Maybe  so,"  said  Jasper  Brereton  thought- 
fully, his  dark,  somber  eyes  glancing  up  and  down 
the  long,  narrow  tunnel  of  Paradise  Alley,  which 
showed  in  all  its  hideousness  by  the  revealing  light 
of  the  early  dawn.  He  shivered  slightly  as  he 
looked.  "  Your  theories  fly  pretty  high,  Mr. 
Flannigan,  too  high  for  me." 

Peter  chuckled  genially.  "  Maybe  so,  Sir, 
maybe  so,"  he  said.  "  But  'tis  pleased  I  am 
they  fly  up  instead  of  a-squatting  down.  I've  no- 
ticed that  theories,  oftener  than  ye'd  believe  now, 

245 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

hatches  into  acts  unexpected  like.  And  'tis  from 
seeing  some  of  the  queer  broods  let  loose  on  the 
world  that  I  try  to  be  a  bit  careful  of  the  idea  eggs 
my  mind  sets  on." 

Dr.  Brereton  smiled  and  shrugged  his  well-clad 
shoulders.  "  Well,  I  think  Paradise  Alley  is  a  big 
enough  fact  to  bring  us  back  to  earth  again.  It's 
a  cancerous  spot  in  our  city,  and  it's  hard  to  believe 
that  anything  worth  while  could  grow  in  such  a 
place.  It  seems  that  even  a  little  child  from  its 
gutters  would  have  become  befouled  past  the 
cleansing." 

Peter  Flannigan  turned  a  strange,  thoughtful 
look  upon  the  handsome,  distinguished  man  stand- 
ing on  the  step.  He  seemed  to  be  searching  deep 
inside  for  the  words  his  lips  would  utter.  "  Sure 
now  and  I  don't  know  about  that,  Sir,"  he  said 
slowly  at  last.  "  Faith  and  'tis  meself  that's  be- 
ginning to  think  that  many  a  foul  and  dark  ap- 
pearing thing  is  laid  at  our  feet,  dropped  down, 
careless  like,  that  we  may  pick  it  up  and  bear  it 
to  the  light  of  day.  When  we  do  that,  Sir,  may- 
hap we'll  find  that  'twas  but  a  bit  of  God  Himself 
that  hadn't  bloomed  out  yet  because  it  was  meant 
for  us  to  be  after  having  the  chance  to  plant  it, — 

246 


JINKS'        INSIDE 

as  ye  might  say, —  water  it  a  bit,  and  place  it 
where  the  Sun  could  shine  upon  it  and  cause  it  to 
grow, —  for  the  one  that  tended  it, —  and  for  the 
One  that  made  it." 

As  the  mounting  Sun  flung  its  rays  high  above 
the  housetops,  its  light  fell  warmly  upon  Peter 
Flannigan's  giant  form  where  it  stood  on  one  end 
of  the  back  doorstep.  Across  the  other  end, 
where  Jasper  Brereton  was  standing,  the  tall  tene- 
ment over  the  way  cast  a  deep  shadow,  cold  and 
bleak.  He  remained  motionless  a  moment  in  the 
gloom  after  Peter  ceased  speaking,  and  then  drawn 
irresistibly  by  the  inner  radiance  all  aglow  on  the 
face  of  the  big  man  in  the  Sun,  he  came  from  out 
the  shade  and  paused  close  to  Peter  —  in  the  light. 

For  a  fleeting  second  the  light  in  Peter  Flanni- 
gan's broad  countenance  was  reflected  in  the  self- 
sick,  world-weary  face  of  the  man  by  the  chuckling 
auto.  He  glanced  towards  the  window  of  the 
upper  room  with  a  brief  nod  and  smile  flash.  "  I 
think  you  .have  found  your  *  Bit,'  Mr.  Flannigan," 
he  said,  extending  his  hand  in  farewell  as  he  spoke. 

Both  Peter's  big  hands  closed  in  a  crushing 
pressure  upon  the  slender  fingers  in  his  grasp. 
"  Faith  now  and  'tis  meself  that  knows  I  have, 

247 


JINKS'       INSIDE 

Sir,"  he  said  simply.  "  And  bedad  it's  because  I 
did  not  turn  me  back  upon  it  when  it  was  given  to 
me,  but  took  it  close  in  me  arms,  mud  and  all,  real 
grateful  like,  as  a  sacred  gift-charge  from  the  One 
that  made  it." 


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